Obviously I'm still fresh in the game, so I'm considering all my options in terms of investing, but I had a question for all you reading:If you had to give a one-sentence piece of advice about REI, what would it be?

We have a very very limited budget and we need a contractor to do basic repairs and a fresh coat of paint so we can get tenants in the home by 2/1.

However, I've recently been investigating REI as a way to scratch my entrepreneurial itch and to take ownership of 'my time' with the goal of financial independence in the forthcoming decade.

I really like the idea of putting that $27k towards the principal of my heloc to try to pay it off to start fresh again with $100k.

If they are willing to get the tenants out, that means all the hard work is done for you and you can start fresh. 

@Brad Gibson thanks for your quick response and investigation.

These are just a few questions to investigate and help in taking next steps.  

If that is your primary deciding factor the other metro areas may be worth investigating.  

@Josh HickmanHello,Have you investigated the private money market?

Given I was in your shoes a few months ago, feel free to ask questions about the process while it's still relatively fresh in my mind, ha!