I am a newbie in a sense only have bought one property but I got that experience under my belt.  

You could also attend some local REIA meetups and see if you can network with some experienced local investors to see where they invest, how they invest, what works for them, and what doesn't.I would not use your mother's money right out of the gate, expecially HELOC money, if you don't have to ... maybe in the future if/when you get a few units and some experience under your belt. 

I would love to have enough properties under my belt to live off of in 4 years, but it occurred to me that if I don't, I could get my license and become a RE agent as another means of making money and further ingraining myself in the field of RE.

I would love to have enough properties under my belt to live off of in 4 years, but it occurred to me that if I don't, I could get my license and become a RE agent as another means of making money and further ingraining myself in the field of RE.

With that under your belt you can likely secure hard money for your next project as you build up some cash reserves and fix your credit.

You are the only one knows the answer since it is your local market. looking at your profile, you already have one rental under your belt, you should have the experience and knowledge to know if it's a good deal or not, so like I said go with your instinct.

I've been moving toward this field for years and it feels good to finally have the first deal under my belt.

We've gotten them to before, but after many deals under our belt.  

Just have to get the first property under my belt.

I completely understand your mindset in want to make right move and find the 'right property' but I guarantee you if you incorporate the emotional aspect into an investment strategy, you will be empty handed with no deals under your belt (paralysis by analysis).