Getting a HELOC and a new conventional loan would defiantly be the cheaper route.

Without that experience you might go the relationship route and ping a bunch of brokers & wholesalers to start seeing what they get 1st and be ready to run numbers & move forward quickly. 

I know this is a little off topic but I do want to get another rental and I’m not really interested in going the SDIRA route.

Is it worth going that route? 

We got offer accepted over other offers with fha....you definitely should pursue the duplex house hack route, not single family.

I just discovered that if I live in California and I have an LLC (in or out of state) I will be required to pay Franchise Tax in California (annually 800$) for each LLC.My first plan was to create for each property its own LLC.This discover is changing my plans (and my numbers of course 🙄 )A few options that came to my mind to try to avoid this route:1.

I went the submeter route and am very happy with True Submeter, they send you the kit to have installed by plumber. https://truesubmeter.com/Then they monitor usage via the cell network and send you the bill (or your PM) to then bill the tenant.

If you go this route you need to know what you're doing as there is lites of risk and expense in contracting.

That gives you 1000s more choices and choice of PM if you want to go that route. 

Level 2 is where you want to be a passive investor and you go the turnkey provider route.