When you have enough saved that losing $25K will not be catastrophic and you have enough knowledge to evaluate the risks associated with a syndications, join a syndication that you have establish a relationship (so accredited investor or sophisticated investor is not required).  

Another thing is finding less established investors, who need your connections with lending and contractors.  

We have established relationships with them and they trust us when we bring a deal to them or when we advise them on the next course of action with their current investments.Couple things I would say to you on this strategy. 1.

Seller financing, fix and flip cash deals, sub2 and much more.Now the method you determine to best suit you often times is based on the amount of available cash you have but not every strategy takes a lot to get started.Best of luck! 

That property is in a different group.Next, establish what the current cost to buy is based on properties within that group that are For Sale the day you are doing the analysis. 

Charlotte has a lot to offer and depending on your investing goals I can definitely recommend some zip codes to check out during your trip here.

Not a fan of auction.com they have a lot of hidden fees and very generic record searches that leave a lot to you. 

Is a HELOC on an investment property something that would still be considered a personal loan or would I need to venture into establishing a commercial line of credit on the properties?

I would recommend establishing a strategy that is not fully dependent on market timing. 

Each designated LLC has its own governing documents establishing its members, managers, and membership interests.