I'd expect this to impact most gateway cities, particularly SF and NYC.  

Hypothetical ScenarioI pay 200,00 for a house15 years later I have paid off 190,000 of the 200,000My equity in the house is now 190,000 (not adjusting for appreciation or depreciation)I pull out 70% of what I own in this home because that is the max the bank lets me take out against the propertyA recession hits and every house goes down in value including mineMy 200,000 dollar house is now worth 150,000I still own the house, my mortgage is on a 200,000 dollar home even if it is only worth 150,000 at the momentI am in the same situation as everyone else who has a mortgage and a house worth less than the mortgage they are payingQuestionsTaking my money out of the house has no negative impact on the property right?

The work i am doing have no impact on the renovation performed by the GC.

True, a high balance on your HELOC will impact your credit score downward.

We talked about lots of nuts and bolts stuff about how she likes deals to run, and office culture.8/31/15 - Still no exam scores found :( - got fingerprinted today

The fact that your property is rented quickly at the highest rental rate in the neighborhood has little to know impact on the appraised value of the property.Apartments are valued based on Net Operating Income (NOI).

Check out Meetup.com for alternatives that really are free and are more closely aligned with the BP culture.

Additionally I am sure there are huge possible liability concerns if the tenant is injured while putting up the hurricane shutters.There are many different types of Hurricane shutters from the panels you fit and tighten, the accordion, roll down for sliding glass doors, and impact windows.Depending on what story the window or door is located on and your budget will ultimately determine what hurricane mitigation device you choose. 

I prefer a cushion with a positive cash flow - which impacts how much I am willing to pay for a property.  

A few quick examples.Monthly payment is $1,000 and rent is $1,000....a lender sees this as -$250 a month on your debt to income ratio.Monthly payment is $1,000....rent is $1250...this is even and will have no impact on your debt to income ratio.If you have a DSCR on the property greater than 1.25 then they will consider this as more income, and it will increase your borrowing capacity for your own home.