Before getting into real estate, I dabbled in Information Technology where the concept of open source software runs strong.

Plenty of publications and journals to read on this, along with books and other print media.

If you want to take a vacation, be out sick for an extended period, or even just move on, you'll need to "hire" and train a replacement.In terms of "The Cashflow Quadrant" (E - S - B - I), you're in the bottom-left corner: you're self-employed.You would need to move to the top-right corner and become a business owner: the business needs to run even when you're out sick, on vacation, "on family leave", etc.If you're new to the concept, "The Cashflow Quadrant" looks like this:E | B-----S | I"E" is you're an employee in someone else's business. 

I've been reading a few note guides, and came across the concept of using your note as collateral for another loan.

If the goal is simply to better understand the commercial landscape, values, and happenings, skip buying any course and start subscribing to the Business Journal for your closest major metro.

I'm in the "Airbnb has this one figured out camp" with @Kevin Lefeuvre but I hadn't thought of the damage waiver concept @Valerie Rogers is doing, that's interesting! 

I'll break it out for you.Gross Salary: $80,000/yearGross Salary per month: $6,667/monthAfter Tax Salary per month (not including 401k investing (which you should be doing, but I get this is a real estate message board and this concept is not popular): $5,434Purchase Price: $600,000Interest Rate per Calculator: 6.941%Downpayment: 5% or $30,000Financed Amount: $570,000Mortgage: $3,769.67Property Tax: $600Insurance: $125Other Costs (per calculator): $333.33Total Monthly Payment: $4,828/monthAfter Tax Salary - Your New Homes Cost = $5,434 - $4,828 = $606CONGRATULATIONS, you are what is referred to as "house poor." 

But the Wall Street Journal had a favorable feature on him in July. 

The key with the HELOC strategy is understanding the concept of arbitrage.

I'd check out Natalie Kolodij's podcast- she knows her stuff and she makes the concepts simple and interesting.