I came in and within a month sent out letters informing everyone of the new rent amount which was about $300 higher but still about $300 lower than market rents.

You mentioned a prepayment penalty, more information on DSCR loans available below.DSCR loans won't use your income to underwrite the loan.

In the past, I've found these resources to be good avenues for information and referrals. 

Purchased a home during the pandemic, value has gone up roughly 2.5(estimating), believe i have enough value in a HELOC to get a down payment on a second home.. is it a wise decision to add that to my plate then rent the first house for mortgage payment+?

All you need is a single place to track tenant information, payment history, maintenance, and a few other things.

Rich information may be obtained from websites such as Realtor.com, Zillow, and local real estate blogs and forums.For out-of-state investors, investor-friendly agents are essential since they are knowledgeable about investment methods, have access to market data for the rental market, and can identify what qualities make a property a suitable investment.

As mentioned above, syndications may be your best bet for truly passive income, but you are absolutely ripe to make a bad decision on that because you don't have the time and will not be able to property vet the operator.

We have simple form letter that says "the information you provided does not meet the requirements for an Emotional Support Animal".FWIW, you could also change your no-pet policy.  

@Jeff Miller if you come down South I would be happy to meet up with you.I haven't been as active as some other investors in going to investor meet-ups but I find that they can be a double edge sword as you have seen with Rich Dad Poor Dad.Real Estate is about the long game and so is life.You want to decide where you are going and make investment and life decisions to get you there.

@Stuart Udis no worries but you're assuming too much information I didn't make available.  1.