In this environment I'd rather be a lender and am. 

I know travel is just another expense, but seems like a lot could be accomplished in person, particularly as a group.way back in the day when I was project lead for a Major west coast syndicator and deals had gone off the rails a little bit I got thrown into running these meetings.. and you talk about a hostile environment..

Some do well just reading a book, some with webinars and such, while others (such as myself) do better in a classroom/interactive/hands-on environment.

It sounds like you were able to put together a solid environment and lay some ground rules up front. 

You want to reduce your housing expenses as much as possible and not necessarily get cash flow since it is very difficult in this environment.

The current environment could be the last window for capitalizing on "panicking buyers" before the market dynamics shift.

Due to the environment with projected rising interest rates, does it make sense to do a HELOC or outright refinance my current mortgage?

Building wealth and tax advantage plans is easier than in most tax environments.

Buying = long term value, leasing or PPAs = immediate cash flow savings while going green and helping the environment. 

New builds might be able to bring in a bit more in rental income but it is often not enough to offset the higher price you would buy for a new property, especially in the current high interest rate environment.