My challenge is that the equity is siloed in a high number of properties which complicates our ability to draw against it and leverage that for operational and investment purposes.Do you all know of banks willing to work with investors and able to underwrite at the portfolio level, rather than having to apply for and open HELOCs on a per-property basis?

Luckily, my brother is a software engineer so he put together a website where new tenants can simply click on "apply."

My role has taught me the importance of managing systems, understanding finances, and staying organized—skills I’m eager to apply to real estate investing.I’m a newbie in the real estate world but deeply motivated to learn and take action.

Here's how you might apply this strategy with your $150K:1.

@Patrick Drury, I hadn't considered the different criteria for 4 units (and from what I can tell, it also applies to triplexes), so that's definitely something I'll have to consider.

Why don't you do a LOT more research here on BP, via articles, books and podcasts, then apply what you've learned and then ask clarifying questions on the forums?

A portion of rental income can be applied to your income if separate units (not for bedrooms in your unit) which could bump the value a little, but this will pose a challenge. 

In parallel, we want to apply our learning by analyzing deals using, for example, the "ANALYZE DEALS" option on this website.

There is a bit of "safe haven" for personal transactions, but if Dodd-Frank applies, it applies! 

It is quite common to conduct a move-out assessment for damages and apply the costs against the security deposit (SD).