I hope the example illustrates why HELOC to finance ADU is not optimal not even addressing the risk of a variable longer term loan (I do not use variable on longer loans) or additional interest rate (these are secondary issues but I would have issues with HELOC even if the HELOC were fixed at the same rate as a new RE purchase loan (but HELOC are typically variable with worse terms than RE purchase loan). 

Any and all advice is welcome on self-managing-- I have the majority of this squared away (my team is pretty much in place, I am just worried about how to make myself available for issues that arise and how to best optimize my listing.) 

Thats the number im currently focused on optimizing. 

@Hannah Potter Here are the things that many CPAs support their clients with:Understanding tax impact of short-term vs. long-term vs. flip before you buyWhich entity structure is best for goals and investment property typeTax and compliance on LLC or S-CorpHow to transfer property out of personal name into LLC (hard to buy 1st through entity)Ways to optimize taxes throughout the yearHow best to set up accounting to track income and expenses (doing this late is a mess)Feedback on property management systems, accounting systems. systems, etcEstimated payments to avoid penaltiesKnowing when to file and getting things in on timeMaybe a few things I missed, but this is the high-level ….. if you can get answers to the above questions on your own, plan, and file your own taxes then you can avoid the expense of a CPA.

Seeking guidance from reputable professionals specializing in real estate taxation is crucial to ensure compliance and optimize eligibility for REPS.

Before you run any ads on Facebook, make sure your website and all OTA listings are outstanding and recently optimized. 

Look at the performance and try to optimize your portfolio from there.

Carrying out a comprehensive property analysis is key to pinpointing amenities that will draw in tenants and optimize rental revenue.Decide on your plan for house hacking- will you reside in one unit and lease out the other, or rent out both units and live elsewhere?

They should be able to provide personalized advice and ensure compliance with IRS regulations while optimizing your tax strategy.

If you're thinking 1-3 steps ahead to optimize cash flow, then sure stick to CDs and govt debt.I'd opt for a very quality location, then private/public debt, and then HYSA, and last and definitely least low value areas with high intrinsic properties like Detroit, Cleveland, etc. if I'm "investing" in those last areas, I'd rather opt for HYSA/Debt before buying those.