Another option would be working with private lenders to see if they're open to your idea should you need additional funding. 

Quote from @David Morovitz: I am researching Mobil Home Park funds and seem to keep circling back to Sunrise Capital Investors and Wellings Capital. 

But generally speaking with the new landlord rules etc I wont fund occupied houses whether at auction or non Auction I want them vacant before we fund them.

I like that, unlike with say trading for a hedge fund, I can create opportunities for others rather than solely line the pockets of someone richer (that being said I still intend to make money).

Every investor has their own path, and hearing different perspectives will only enrich your journey.Challenges in Real Estate Investing:Finding deals: In competitive markets, it can be tough to find good deals that make sense financially.Capital and financing: Finding funding, especially as a new investor, can sometimes be challenging.Dealing with tenants: Managing rental properties and dealing with tenants can be tricky, especially with issues like late rent or property damage.Market risk: Real estate markets fluctuate, and external factors (like economic shifts or local development projects) can impact property values.I’d be happy to continue the conversation if you want to dive deeper into any of these topics!

If things start getting tight, you can always switch to doing work for clients too in order to raise funds. 

I saved up the down payment for a few months and have a few remaining as emergency funds.

Both properties have a substantial amount of equity that’s essentially sitting idle.Would it be a good idea to tap into this equity (through a HELOC, cash-out refinance, etc.) to fund future fix-and-flip projects or purchase additional rental properties?

You can get into a bunch of properties with that much money, but honestly unless you just really love RE I'd be pretty tempted to find a couple of decent dividend funds and just harvest the returns.

If I put my money in the S&P 500 index fund, the annual return is about 10%.