Or is the initial equity essentially tied up and unavailable to for subsequent deals until it is paid off to the initial credit equity line lender?  

The deferred basis is rolled into your replacement prop(s) so you would pay those taxes when you eventually sell the replacement prop(s)....unless you just keep executing 1031s each time, rolling more deferred gain into each subsequent property until you die.

Subsequently I'm going to continue to evaluate and search for properties to get my own foot in the door. 

While it nets me a small positive every month due to a large down, I'll have to get more creative on subsequent deals, therefore your approach is very helpful. 

Plus, you have a solid down payment going into the deal.Regarding subsequent deals, my favorite episode is Episode 113 with Jay Papasan.

The first loan is typically a bit more of a pain in the ***, but once you have established a relationship with the bank, they move quickly in subsequent deals.  

Subsequently I discovered a side lot that I was told belonged to a neighbor actually belonged to me!

Bryan Otteson actually I'll take credit for that unless your giving points for each thread with a subsequent iteration

The "template" consists of the merging of two spreadsheets (Income and Expenses) I had previously sent to them with a sum feature added (which I had already done on my end to a subsequent revision).  

first, get your heat looked at and get a qualified tech to confirm it is working, or fix it. you do not want tenant using a fireplace for heat.second, if tenant rented unit with a working gas fireplace, you are likely obligated to fix it. especially in a tenant friendly area such as California.third, I would seriously consider not leaving this in for subsequent tenants. what if they leave something to close and there is a fire?