Hello Everyone,Does anyone know of a lender who can provide a 1st lien HELOC on a 2 unit rental property?

My long term rentals may be boring but they've made fantastic returns.

I am seeking SFH or Multi-family home investment with positive rental cash flow as my strategy.

The entire point of owning rentals is to actually own. 

I have been investing for years; stocks, options, bitcoin, real estate, and private lending and now I am getting out of all of it because my job is proving to have an infinitely higher return on time and it no longer makes financial sense to dump money into rentals. 

My latest vacation rental property is a charming 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom townhome located in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood.

So, their attorney gets back to them with the new that (1) their dream of a “contingency” fee lawsuit is a non starter (2) that the process is going to be long, drawn out, and (3) that a $15,000 retainer would be required. 

I am wondering if I can claim it as a repair(counting against rental income) or if it must be claimed as an asset (with depreciation benefits)?  

I live in Austin, TX, and own few rental properties.

I would be careful about using this clause unless you truly plan to have the unit off the rental market for an extended period of time.