We are reading the local regulations, tenant law and Rent Control ordinance.

So do your due diligence and make sure that the strategy you know works in California will work in other states as well.If you don't know the area, here's what you'll need:A local real estate agentA loan officer licensed to originate loans in that stateA local property manager (they should have repairmen, contractors, etc. contacts for you)It works best when you have local "boots on the ground" so to speak, meaning friends or family members who can keep an eye on the property for you... which your property manager can do for you, but for a fee.I would recommend reading BiggerPocket's book on long distance real estate investing for a ton of other tips as well: https://www.biggerpockets.com/store/long-distance-real-estate-investing-ultimateIf you have any questions about the Phoenix Metro Area market when you're considering which area to invest in, feel free to reach out and I'll try to get your questions answered or point you in the right direction!

Over the past six months I have been listening to the Bigger Pockets Podcasts and reading a couple of the books that guests recommend (Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Miracle Morning).

Looking forward to reading them all.

Originally I was thinking to sell this place and move into a SFH or even a Multi Family and stay in it a year then rent it, buy another stay in it a year and rent it and keep moving along that way, but through reading BP forums and talking to some other REI it seems like possibly taking a HELOC and staying in this house a bit longer might be a good option because I will have a fair amount of equity.

@Omar Khan provided a great read on vetting a sponsor. 

Read J Scott's Book on Flipping Houses before you go any further.

Current Situation:My offer has been accepted and I have 9 days of due diligence remaining.My Ask:Without reading “The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (or Low) Money Down” YET...What are some methods/strategies to lower my upfront costs for the down payment, while not getting beat up on interest rates?

Basically, you are stuck in limbo until the the case is dismissed because the automatic stay prevents you from foreclosing.I've read that some borrowers (especially the ones that are legitimately trying to pay their debts) will file a POC on behalf of creditors, which they are allowed to do.

@Benjamin Hauser   At first read I thought you might have a builder in mind.