The ways to harness the equity include: - Cash out refinance (using a conventional or private mortgage)- A Second Mortgage or HELOC (often has a variable interest rate)- Selling the propertyIt is also rare, but possible, to access the equity by partnering - you could sell a portion to a financial partner, giving them some ownership.

So, unless you want to sell out entirely, I think you are looking at a HELOC or 2nd mortgage as your way to harness some of that $100,000 in equity. 

We are not an employee of the Owner.

I am also a W2 employee and an Agent in So Cal working with potential HH clients!

I used to have each employee turn in a weekly timecard showing which job they were working on AND even broke it down to which task/trade they did that day at that job.

Office in many major metros will never be the same...it's too costly and inefficient to have people in the office 100% of the time and, most importantly, employees don't want that crazy commute. 

Employees/contractors, on the other hand, get paid for their work either way.

Now, most of these smaller banks may only have 12 employees or so.

In my view (which I have held for nearly 30 years, and with many very long term clients), we are not your "employee" subject to micromanaging.

If the latter, then read up on how to build a business, even as an employee of one.