At this point the value of the house is still increasing but not at the same rate as the previous years for a number of obvious reasons (high Interest rates,  age of house, etc.) and at this point I'm not sure what my next move should be since I don't like having all that equity tied up in the property and borrowing against it (HELOC) doesn't seem like a good idea since banks seem to be charging even higher than "normal" interest rates because the house is not my primary residenceIt's been almost 2 yrs since a I moved out of the house and I know my time is running out before we'll have to pay capital gains on the property if we chose to sell it [unless I do a 1031 exchange of course] but wondering what other options I might consider.

Hi Cyndy, definitely a lot of great options in the private money space.

Or, if my better option would simply be to keep saving and learning for the time being.

Google Sheets and Quickbooks are going to be your best option

This strategy allows investors to start building equity and cash flow while minimizing personal living expenses.Networking and Education: Many investors begin by attending real estate networking events, joining investment groups, or taking educational courses to learn about different investment strategies and opportunities.Creative Financing: Some investors explore creative financing options, such as seller financing, private lending, or using retirement funds for real estate investments.Turnkey Properties: Investing in turnkey properties can be a straightforward way for new investors to enter the market.

Depending on how your income looks, you Non-QM might also have to be an option. 

Plenty of options without dropping 10k.

The seller may just not want to deal with the headache of working with contractors and be looking to get the property off their hands ASAP - a seller credit may be a welcome option for the seller. 

I have my license with Keller Williams now, but they gave me the option to choose another broker while still paying my full tuition through their prep program so I would also highly recommend Keller Williams as a broker.

It may be difficult or confusing at first, but if you research these options, you will find something that will fit in your long term goal category!