, I’m looking into doing a HELOC on my current owner-occupied duplex (live in one side) to help fund a down payment on another duplex.

“Because of this investment, more Alabamians can provide a better living for their families, and it helps cement Alabama as the preferred destination for the aerospace industry."

Thank you for your feedback, in Arizona specifically, as an out of state investor (I'm in California) it is the state law that they need someone living physically in Arizona to represent you with your legal affairs. 

All the homes in their marketplace have a modest starting point, great for those just dipping their toes into the U.S. real estate market.

I live in the Bay Area and have been focusing on regions outside Yosemite national park to do my research.

People don't want to live in a basement.

Do that every year until you are tired of house hacking, then find a SFH you want to live in. 

You said your parents made a modest profit on the sale.

You need enough time to earn healthy returns, but not so much that your kids graduate before the sale.Considering market cycles, five years is a modest stint in which to invest, make improvements, allow appreciation, and exit before it’s time to remodel again.A five-year projected hold provides a buffer between the estimated sale and the typical seven- to ten-year commercial loan term.

I lived there for almost 10 years before moving to NJ.