Our end goal is to be in a position where we can be very selective and choose the clients and properties we work with so that doesn't happen.

Main goal of All In One heloc or 1st Lien Position Heloc:  Lower your daily average balance.Main Drawback: Rates are substantially higher than 60% of current 1st mortgage balances.If you are mostly living paycheck to paycheck and your money leaves your account as soon as it comes in to pay bills, this is not for you. 

If you have favorable terms on those first mortgages, you might find that a HELOC or a second-position loan is more cost-effective than doing a full refinance or a DSCR loan.

Getting the federal return correct is the most important and with owning two properties, there could be some positive tax benefits.

I hope to use private capital to fund the entry fees in second position.  

Most mentors are more oriented toward the positive mental attitude of slugging through finding a property, which can be trying to a lot of people.

That’s absolutely great and wonderful for the investors who are in the position to stabilize that!!!

While it's positive after expenses and has potential for improvement in year two, it’s been a bigger hassle than anticipated and taking attention from other priorities and areas of our life with not enough return. 

Pretty much any regular bank / lender is going to require themselves to be in first position on all the properties... so I don't think a HELOC type solution is going to work across multiple properties with multiple lenders.  

I was in a similar position a few years ago, but fortunately got married and our combined incomes helped us qualify for a larger house hack.We're on our second one in NOVA, Alexandria to be exact, and instead of rent by the room, we are renting out our walkout basement on Airbnb to monthly guests.That said, we have a number of friends doing well with rent by the room across NOVA, though they're purchasing homes with 5+ rooms or finding homes that can be renovated to include that setup.I'd recommend attending meetups such as the one I cohost, NOVA REI or Cashflow Breakfast Club or any of the others to meet those who are house hacking.