In the case of rehabs, they are buying the property through conventional methods or other lending types and using the HELOC for down payment or rehabs.If the HELOC is not drawn upon, do the conventional lenders still look at the fact that the money is "available" to be drawn on?

Anyone interested in lending their expertise and potentially more from there? 

After a few years of successful operations, you can look to banks' commercial lending department for future loans. 

In the lending scenario, are they getting a trust deed and promissory note as security or just a promissory note?

go with a FHA loan they do 96.5 percent financing with a 3.5 percent down payment and the rates are at 20 yr lows like 3.25 percent also with multifamily I was actually going to do the same thing and the really only thing they take into consideration is will it be owner occupied so like you said it would I don't see any problem with it but with that being said it must be 4 units or less can't be more than 4 and the amount cap that they will lend differes but is still a great amount 

Some credit unions do portfolio lending (which just means they lend their own money, not Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac money). 

I lend only to LLC's or S-Corps due to Dodd-Frank.

Private money as in credit unions and smaller lenders that do portfolio lending?

Possible discussion topics:-Lending/Financing-Legal Structuring-Macro Portfolio building-Local Investing/Out of State Turn Key productsThere are books and a plethora of blogs/forum on the Micro aspects of Real Estate however these Macro topics are better to discuss in person.

If you  can't qualify for FHA, you may try a local bank who does "portfolio lending" meaning they keep the loan there at the bank, so they make the decisions in house.