It's better to focus on small area of expertise and put all your attention there, so you can get to results faster.

HELOC is best, they usually pay for your closing cost, interest rate is low and much faster approval rate but utilize a credit union rather than a public bank in my opinion.Welcome to BP and best of luck.

I think apartment buildings is a faster way to get to my goals. 

As long as you define success for yourself, your work ethic will get you there faster than you can probably imagine.  

As an investor, I always stage my properties - they sell faster and for higher amounts!

There are alternatives that are significantly faster, but for rate, you've got to endure the process with a bank.BTW. 

My building will be green up to 8% interest rates, which I don't see coming faster than my rents rising and jobs here growing.Therefore, the argument that I've heard, not from anyone in this forum but elsewhere about 7-10 year cycles because of farmer's almanac type timing does not have as much evidence to me, as the facts I have chosen to see that I've listed above.  

Oscar, yes - paying cash will give you an advantage not only by being able to offer a faster close, but also by eliminating any financing contingencies.    

For me, click2mail has much faster turnaround times but they don't really have good templates so you need to design your own.

Then, determine the burn rate the equity is decreasing due to interest, late fees, foreclosure (if any), taxes, HOA, etc. the burn rate is provably higher and faster than owner believes.Equity can be traded for something else, too, such as a car, rent, note on another property, etc.