Hey @Chris Loyd, slow down and breathe :) It's a lot you're taking in right now and the beauty and simplicity of the stack is exactly for this reason. 

I just want to build enough passive income that I don’t have to worry about a boss breathing down my neck or pleasing customers 24/7, but I can use my degree to do what I enjoy and maybe even combine with real estate.

Not very dangerous, if you breathe it, you will get a sore throat, if you breathe it too long you can pass out.

Take a breath my friend. 

Have to let them breath. 

In that same breath, I've never had to vet a tenant.

I am like a living breathing barometer of the market because of this consistent habit. 

I would take their input less seriously depending on how much "commission breath" they have. 

Take a deep breath, and start chipping away at that HELOC balance right away.Borrowing from your 401k is a horrible option, especially with how badly stocks have been beaten up this year.

Your LLC use to avoid DTI is just hot breath from someone who either is unaware of the conventional lending guidelines or is purposefully giving bad advice.