Once you build your confidence in knowing the FMV, Market Rents and Rehab Costs you’re ready to pull the trigger.

John there are multiple 1031 companies on this site such as Exeter 1031 that have vast experience.Typically you will have a team in your corner with a plan BEFORE you sell your property such as a 1031 company, attorney, accountant, etc.The advice they offer can be coming from different angles such as 1031 compliance, best legal structures, best tax entities they think.  

I've been doing tons of research but I'm afraid to pull the trigger on anything since I don't have a lot of connections yet...

Quick to negotiate and pull trigger!

I suggest doing the HELOC first, then when you find a cash flowing asset to purchase, pull the trigger using the HELOC. 

The catch is inexperienced investors are slow to pull the trigger and so agents can get frustrated working and never seeing a commission.I purchased my first rental property with little to no experience, used 30K between down payment, closing costs, and traveling to the property to see it.

If you check those things and the numbers are still in line I would pull the trigger.

You can see how some ways of making the home compliant can be vastly different in labor.Also when you are in compliance you can fall out of compliance very quickly.

I need a hard loan or a partner the guy i was working with keeps backing out of deals, i think he's afraid to pull the trigger.

If you invest in the stock market and then find a real estate deal to invest in, prior to selling the brownstone, then pulling the money out in less than a year would trigger short term capital gains/losses.- Have you considered a DAF (donor advised fund).