Slow beginnings are common in real estate investing, and building momentum comes with intentional planning and leveraging your resources effectively.To gain traction:Evaluate Equity: Review the equity in your owner-occupied home and rentals.

Or this equity can be used as collateralization for another deal.3. 

Those special assessments will not be enough, and the reality is the association will likely be taking debt to approach these projects (eg. paving the parking lot, residing a building) and that financial burden would be on the owners and the association. 

Left almost nothing in the deal and got a great equity capture at the buy.

I am not able to take equity out of my condo because it is currently on the blacklist due to HOA fixing the roofing and a Fannie Mae rule stating, if more then 50% of the condos in that community are owned by investors, I may not be able to refi.

The first is having a personal portfolio of 5 passive rental properties, not including my residence.

Assuming I get an appraisal of $500K, I have ~$110k (75% of appraised value minus the loan) I could tap into for equity for a HELOC.Question: What is the process for getting a HELOC?

Cabin rentals out there are not like houses for primary residences.

For scaling your portfolio, consider house hacking another multi-family property to minimize living expenses while building equity.

I would also be more comfortable with a set rate of return if the investment is made to someone who deploys lienholder loans rather than fixed returns on equity.