I have a contrary play. 

This campus hosts a large Magnolia home goods store, high end furniture store, cupcake bakery, coffee shop, gardening shop, live music concert venue, large grass area with toys and balls for kids to play with, an open plaza with eight food trucks, a small baseball field (that Babe Ruth once played on and families can now play on for fun), a restored historic chapel (the oldest chapel in Central Texas), and six boutique shops with men, women, and children's products.

Quick cash on a flip is going to 1. give you more cash to play with vs HELOC interest rates 2. give you an opportunity to 1031 exchange into your next investment. 

Check out this article that sheds light on how they come into play with this strategy.

Location plays a big factor into this question. 

However, from the stories I've heard it so far, sounds like it can lead me to the life I want for my future if I play my cards right.

Preference is cash-flow, but open to appreciation/equity plays as well.

Your number two is a bit different than what to expect on a short-term rental play.

From there, you could do a cost segregation study on that property which will lower taxes for that year and potentially create additional carryover losses.Always options to keep reinvesting assuming the equity is there to keep playing the real estate market 

How the subscription agreement or paperwork you signed to do the deal would play a role in what you can and cannot do.