Read my Utilities 101 below to see some options.

This was very insightful and I will look into the options a bit further.

Also, after a year, the mortgage hasn't been paid down by much, especially if it's a 30 year mortgage.The only challenge you may run into is if you purchased it using a low or no money down mortgage option like FHA or VA lending.

I can get prime-0.51% on a HELOC but I don't love the risk to my monthly payments if rates rise - that is why I like the fixed second mortgage option. 

Looking forward to reviewing these options.

Some of my costs above are optional but not all.

But it would be nice to have an option to uncheck that box this time around since they're already in place.

Creative financing options like seller financing or assuming a low-interest FHA loan can also help you secure better terms.

Would this be the ideal market, or are there other rental options we should explore? 

I am slowly going crazy with how expensive Massachusetts is and I am leaning towards looking at cheaper foreclosure properties.I understand there is some risk to this but I am beginning to think this is the only option I will have because of how fast the market is growing.Thank you for any insight you may have!