I've been investing in loans on Equity Multiple, which is a commercial RE crowdfunding site.

Since you put 5% down and the appraisal came in at $160K, your available equity might be limited since banks usually cap HELOCs at around 80-90% loan-to-value (LTV).

One was conventional financing and the other was a portfolio loan from a local bank here in Hawaii, I also did a lot of research into DSCR loans during my search.I'm also an agent here on Oahu but focus mainly on Property Management, at the brokerage we manage roughly 50 units that are a mix of STR, MTR, and LTR's. 

The Norris Group has a hard money ADU loan, but it's short term (3 years). 

I may have to Teak my strategy in light of the excellent advice you provide here, Henry.  

I'm meeting with a couple agents i was referred to through my network and am wondering what critical questions I should be asking them to understand if they are the right partners for me in this market, especially considering I will be managing this investment from the other side of the country, and what info I should be prepared to provide to them.

It separates your personal assets from your business, providing a safeguard if any legal issues arise related to tenants or the property.

The loan on this house is $650,000.I closed on a new primary residence end of June.

@Collin StewartSince you're PCSing to Columbia, SC, and have VA loan entitlement remaining, house hacking a small multifamily with a VA loan is a strong option since it requires zero down.

From what I've seen and read, most of the reason operators get in trouble is that there is some type of "event" that has occurred (usually their loan has matured or they've defaulted on their existing loan) and they need to refinance their loan and the lenders require a new appraisal to be done, which usually leads to a lower appraised value, and a lower loan amount, which "forces" the owner to pay down their debt.