Most (not all) HELOCs require that the property is titled to an individual (not LLC) and are full doc, meaning your employment history, income, DTI etc will be factors.

What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.?

Not sure what your local law requires, you'll want to check on that.

They're safer, easier to use, and require less maintenance than wood-burning fireplaces. 

Most lenders who order appraisals are required to order them through a 3rd party AMC, which can add additional costs to the appraisal but ensures that there is no lender (Or borrower) bias in regards to the values.

Based on your post, it's probably best for you to simply not invest in Cook County for your own peace of mind.Sure, any tenant could stop paying rent and that risk is never zero.

Requiring occupant to have renters insurance is another possibility for extra protection.

@Venka Pulla It’s frustrating when a property manager isn’t meeting expectations, but transitioning to a new property manager is typically straightforward if you follow a few steps:Review the Management Agreement: Carefully read your current Property Management Agreement (PMA) to understand the termination process, including any required notice period.

I am sure the interest in that hard money isn't great.All DSCR loans I have seen require at least 12 months.

Tons of double sided tape used which results in a fair amount of extra effort to restore (most cases paint comes right off the wall requiring patching sanding etc, some cases Good-off was effective.