So my question is, could/should I keep this as a rental & use a HELOC & pull close to the same amount if I were to sell the home while saving maybe $9500 in repairs (some cosmetic fixes & upgrades best for selling not renting, possibly staging) or am I looking at this the wrong way? 

What should I be considering at this stage (LOI submitted to seller)?

I've been in the learning and researching stage for the past couple of years and am finally ready to take action.

All things I am okay with doing, at this early stage in my investing career I just want to know that I am structuring things in the appropriate order so that over time I am not running into problems as I scale.

@Lana NielsonYes I do have some thoughts on that actually.I talked to an agent who listed a rehab there a month or two ago, and he told me something really unbelieveable...They staged the house, put in appliances and listed it, and they had their stove stolen not once... not twice... not three timesFOUR TIMES, somebody broke in and dragged the stove out.

I am currently in the strategic planning stage at the moment as I look for which options best fit my needs and abilities.

What stage are they at, and what's their plan?

Hi there, I am in the fetus stage of learning about buying a home.

Rented successfully to an AirBnB'er who did an excellent job staging and is taking great care of the property.

Buying a fixer upper that you want to BRRR is a way different strategy than buying something turnkey, and so are the price points. naturally every buyer is going to be at different stages, but being prepared is something that can be achieved across all levels of investing.To recap:1.