Keep it personal and authentic.

You invest 20% but keep 100% or the profit and appreciation.

Will keep this in mind, thanks!

They can't keep them all due to debts or other personal reasons.

I study social and economic development on the side and that keeps me balanced.

He replied, "I don't know how you keep finding sellers willing to do that".Here is the secret sauce, know and understand the seller's motivation, ask questions, and don't be afraid to ask for the terms you want.It is more common in medium-sized multifamily where it is a business but not large enough to be professionally managed.

A few years back I also thought that "There is no way that home prices and rents can keep going up." 

If I go for the HELOC I would keep my interest rate for my VA loan but the HELOCs interest rate would be higher due to it being an investment property. 

It is amazing the cities try to take aim at the landlord ( and of course there are slumlords) but I suggest that most folks on BP that buy into these situations are NOT slumlords but when they encounter the issue you describe which is constant through the asset class they run out of money they get thoroughly discouraged by how this class of tenant lives and acts and just throw up their hands then get labeled as the greedy out of state landlords who wont keep their properties up..

Keep us posted.