Having said that, I do think some markets will be in trouble as a result of changes in how we do business and the workplace due to COVID 19.

First do no harm, or as little harm as possible.

Take your pick, from pork bellies too mortgages, so to speak of the risk factor there is like saying it's headline news that starring into the sun can harm your eyes. 

Hey Cody,No harm to your dti using the HELOC - agree with the others in this post.

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

In hindsight we could've gotten the properties without them because the potential for tenants causing harm is greater than the benefit in having them.

I also let them know that an eviction will harm their chances for future rentals.

DO NOT take short cuts that could harm them intentionally or unintentionally.

I guess my greatest beef with most gurus (not all, some are actually honest and straightforward, and even offer marginally beneficial advice) is the following1- they’re dishonest in numerous ways2- completing their training in no way qualifies the student to earn money or even perform competently in real property field3- the techniques they teach are often harmful to the people their students deal with4- they unleash a horde of unprepared, unqualified, unknowledgeable, misguided and unaware newbies on an unsuspecting pool of desperate homeowners5- they sell the song that all formal education is a waste of time and money6- they never provide any audited proof that they have been successful in real estate investing7- they encourage people to pay for a mentorship plan they can’t afford by increasing the limit on their credit cards8- they create falsified accounts to post how great their program is9- their programs are packaged by professional seminar companies out of Provo, Utah or Las Vegas, Nevada10- they disparage people who have spent years accumulating the knowledge, experience and capital necessary to be successful in real estate11- SOME gurus teach techniques which are unethical, immoral and even illegal. 

At worst they offer incorrect and damaging information costing the recepient loss of money and time, and in some cases leading to damages to the people the “mentored” are dealing with .It is fashionable amongst those with limited formal edification to buy into the self servicing bs put forth by those selling the $20-40k programs that formal education is a waste of money and time, and actually may be harmful to your success.