I already provide 110 electric and gas for a gas appliance.  

Both @Nathan Gesner and @Lauren Stark have provided valuable insights on this.One potential path for you is to join an established team to gain experience.

I can only speak to Milwaukee, but on average the three distressed properties I have purchased over the past ten years have appreciated an average of 200% all while providing steady cash flow.  

Any lender should be able to easily do a HELOC for you (provided your credit is OK), but a local credit union will likely give you the best deal. 

My intention is not to buy the sellers problem but to provide a solution.

That is often a matter of opinion and will depend on the attitude of your municipality.Most municipalities do not require neighborhood approval, but will offer the public opportunities to provide input which will be considered.

I would look FAR AND WIDE for someone to do an investment property HELOC -OR- go to a bunch of banks and CUs (including who you bank with now) to find someone to provide an unsecured (or secured if you have other collateral) LOC to get rid of the high int debt.

They may be bluffing and may not do anything, but Id prepare myself.

Private equity firms seem to favor larger operations with scalable systems, while smaller mom-and-pop firms are often acquired by local players or regional operators looking to expand their footprint.If you’re looking for actionable intel, reaching out to brokers specializing in the sale of PM firms could provide useful leads.

I would start with them.I am not based in LA, so I don't know your exact laws, but I think I can still provide some initial direction for you to find answers, and maybe offer an idea to research.