A proposed Seattle City Council bill could cap rent late payment fees at $10 per month, with the hope of helping tenants who fall behind on rent avoid higher balances.While renters in the city have been protected from late fees and any other fees associated with non-payment throughout the pandemic, that protection will expire this October, a year after the city ended its civil emergency." 

I’m and emergency medicine physician based in Northern California.

Can one limit the communication channels with the hoa to physical correspondence and calls for life /death, real emergencies?

I'll be pushing the current limit of my HELOC (only 20k left) which will be bad if more emergencies come my way.5.

By summer I should have a good emergency fund, and even if my future share of rent when I move in with my partner is $1,800, I could still have an extra $1,100 to contribute to the loan.

Keep an eye out for emerging areas or places where you've got a strong gut feeling about growth.

Maybe 2 non emergency service calls in 3 years.

@Nathan HardenThey have one called emerge which has no net worth requirements but is based on same principlesHighly recommend

Then pay off all the credit cards and create an emergency fund for your personal life and an emergency fund for the rentals. 

Often comes with lower interest rates compared to HELOCs.Considering your preference for flexibility and continuous projects, a HELOC emerges as a prime choice, providing on-demand access to funds without the binding fixed monthly commitment associated with a HE Loan.