About 8 or 9 units I'm locked in around 2.75% interest rate so I'm trying to avoid that.

Quote from @James Wise: 90% of Realtors are just Future Uber Drivers.... 100% wrong.The failure rate is 87%.

They can help you to have realistic expectations on rent rates in the area, especially if you're planning on have a PM manage the property.

I could house hack it though to help supplement some of those costs, maybe get into a home that needs some fixing up and then when rates come down and I get that forced appreciation I could refi and pull out some money if I’ve gained some equity?

Appraisal came in low because there are few multifamily comps and they all sell at massive discount because they were never updated and need total overhauls. 

The topic tonight is on navigating the new real estate rules - negotiated realtor rates and the ban on wholesaling without a realtor license.

And, If you can pre-sell and/or get financing in Mexico at a reasonable rate, you can give a (much) higher return to US investors than they'd get at home.

What are the factors other than the interest rate when choosing between a Heloc or a cash out refi?

Your financing method is important, as interest rates will significantly impact your cash flow. 

I don't think its wise to refi since I'm locked into a great rate.