In exchange, the former homeowner lives in the home until their death rent-free.

Not a homeowners or LTR insurance policy.

Not a homeowners or a landlord policy.

This is my first time as a home owner...AKA Please be kind!

The relationship is between the HOA and you (the homeowner), so the fee is levied against the owner of the house.

Farmers won’t want, individual home owners won’t want, farmers won’t want  

In other words, take advantage of all of the benefits granted to home owners including lending, zoning, and taxes. 

Recently I've seen a massive increase of homeowners rolling up their sleeves and taking on DIY projects either on their primary homes or on their rental properties.

Like a lot of CA homeowners and investors, I have stagnant equity (just sitting there). 

If the HELOC amount you're requesting is relatively low (often below $100,000), lenders might waive the full appraisal.Drive-By Appraisal : Instead of a full interior inspection, a drive-by appraisal involves the appraiser evaluating the exterior of the property only.Desktop Appraisal : This type of appraisal is conducted remotely using data and photos provided by the homeowner or real estate agents.Based on the little knowledge that I have about stuff like this it sounds like you need to connect with existing lenders in your network or find new lenders in your network that have programs aligned with your goals.