Generally yes a HELOC will go off your personal finances so qualifying is generally based on your income, liabilities, and credit. 

Based on an inspection report on one of the deals I worked on last year, I was able to negotiate over $15k of credits and repairs for a $200k house using a $400 inspection report for one of my clients.

Focus on affordable markets, build a strong network, and continually educate yourself through books, podcasts, and deal analysis to steadily expand your portfolio.Good luck!

Also, based on what I wrote, if any of you do off market buying, I would appreciate ANY advice.

The beauty of this is that intermediaries who work with me know that I make “fair” offers based on VERIFIABLE facts, that I follow through with completed deals unless important information was with held or information provided was false, and that there’s absolutely no value in presenting deals to me where the seller/borrower/investor is unrealistic, naive, or otherwise wanting to “test” the market.  

Hey Jon would recommend checking out FB groups if you aren't local (looks like you're based in the Bay).

A guru called this gator lending but I would strongly advise against borrowing funds for a down payment.

DSCR loans let you qualify based on the rental income of the property rather than traditional income verification.

i strongly disagree with this. 

I'm a contractor based in Maryland and DC, so the renovation aspect is well within my expertise, having done numerous projects for other developers and general contractors.However, I'm facing a challenge when it comes to choosing the interior design elements, such as bathroom tiles, colors, sizes, fixtures, etc.