Then got a new better job in Atlanta area and rented the house I was living in Greenville.Up to here I had no education on real estate.

I make sure to be there when the appraiser is visiting the home and print out data on appreciation rates and comps and give him/her a personal opinion on where we believe the home should be appraised at.

You are working a demanding corporate job but also want to build rentals on the side.

Great job.

We do full renovations, baths, kitchens, small jobs big jobs - all the jobs!

If you want to move to a cheaper area do that, find a job there and do the house hack strategy

HELOCs are fine, but keep in mind that you really only want to use 50 percent of less (each) of your available equity just so you aren't creating a problem that you can't solve later if the value of your personal residences fluctuates.If you both have W2 jobs though, have you looked into getting qualified together and just getting a loan, 10 percent down each?

Why do you think purchase contracts are so long and have such small print?

My goal is to continue to acquire more cash flowing rentals to eventually leave my day job and just self manage the rental properties. 

I am bringing print outs of the payment website as well as both leases, with the troublesome excerpts highlighted in case the judge is interested in that episode.