I will say that during that time, the HELOC interest rates were very low.  

Must be cash-flow positive, so I would need to bring in one hell of a downpayment unless interest rates decrease.2.

Quote from @Paige Gardner: Does anyone have Any HML recommendations I'm a beginner and want to get started right away but want to weigh my options  Hi Paige, Is there a reason why you need to start with a HML first?

For those willing to embrace a broader horizon, long distance investing not only enhances potential returns but also builds a resilient investment strategy with significantly lower cost to entry for real estate investing.I’d love to hear your thoughts: would you consider long distance real estate investing to seek out greater rates of return and a lower investment cost? 

He is interested in REI, has good basic knowledge on REI and has more than enough saved up for down but hesitate because of current market, interest rate, rental demand, capex, first investment jitters, draw of stock market, etc, etc. 

The first cabin has 24 months of history, and the second cabin has 8.

Early 2017 investment, assumable, high 3s fixed-rate debt with a 5-7 year expected hold period.

I agree with others have said, if they can make 24% return, why wouldn't they just borrow at a hard money rate and just make the 24% themselves.

- Are you considering using your war chest for your first real estate investment or are you experienced in this space?

It's gone through a bit of a fad-craze so I'd say first thing to look out for is vet'ing the credentials of them, there business.