We intend to keep the SFR as a rental.

i cover pest control and lawn care on my stuff. keeps down on issues and i know the place looks good. for my student rentals i also build in a quarterly cleaning fee where my cleaning lady comes through and does a deep clean. extra eyes on stuff and parents happily pay it to ensure their kids have a solid spot. pass through cost for me and well worth it. 

My options are:Sell: Maximize down payment in NC, reduce debt.HELOC+Rent: Keep NJ property as an investment, rent for potential $3,300/month.I'm interested in long-term wealth building.

Found out later that he is a serial non-paying tenant that managed to keep judgements off somehow.

Low repair/Cap Ex and great potential appreciation.The one thing to keep in mind is which property is likely able to help you scale faster?

Using an LLC to invest is a common way to keep assets safe and might help with taxes, but you need to know all the rules and how it affects your money.

Asking as a seller to keep track of payments, loan balance etc. 

There are several things you need to keep in mind.

If they haven't forwarded their mail, keep the envelope unopened when it is returned to you as proof that you sent it.

I kid, Keep your head up and take a breath.