I’ve purchased at least 20+ in the last 12 months and I’ve bought 3 myself.

You're going to win way more often than not if you stick to real estate for the long haul.

Im wondering if i can use a heloc on my primary residence to either purchase or use for a down payment on an investment property and then refinance the investment property into a conventional 30 year mortgage to “pay myself back?”  

Purchase price: $175,000 Cash invested: $90,000This was one of the hardest renovations we have completed to date, the house was very neglected for over 30 years.

I recently purchased a home. 

So for the first item on the balance sheet you put the purchase price and then for the WIP item you add all purchase closing costs, reno/holding expenses, sale closing costs and then finally put the sale price as revenue?  

I'm excited to join this community as I begin my real estate journey.

It sounds like you’re aiming to offset your W-2 income with potential real estate losses, which can be tricky if you don’t qualify as a Real Estate Professional.To qualify as a Real Estate Professional, you or your spouse need to spend more than 50% of your working hours and at least 750 hours annually on real estate activities.

Retail real estate continues to be a valuable asset amid limited availability and high demand.

Welcome @Natalie Johnstone to the world of real estate investing!