Lastly, the price point is still very cheap here in the sense that you can still find investment deals that hit the 1% rule for 120-180k!

Brokers look like commodities but if you find one that works with out of state investors for the long term, they will have good references for place to to invest, property managers, construction crews etc...

There is a guy Jerry I think his last name starts with a N here on BP who has a lot of great content on how to market for off market properties.

I currently own my primary residence and recently decided to buy a piece of raw land where my father’s construction company is, and with his help,  build a single family home on it which will become a long term rental when completed. 

HELOCs generally are not so well suited for long-term debt as a mortgage.

Do I hang tight and pay out of savings, hoping it's worth it in the long run? 

Hi Michael,I like your thoughts of building a large portfolio because it's very important in sub $100,000 markets like Ohio.A large portfolio = A safe portfolio.Personally, I've always been a big believer in buying with cash.Less is more.Once you gain experience and understanding the true income vs expenses of your portfolio.Then look at using leverage for faster growth.It takes many years to learn a market along with establishing a solid understanding of it's "in's and out's" from a people/team perspective.As investors we should always reverse engineer and protect the bottom line first and foremost before looking toward expansion and growth.My "cash only" mentality has served me well over the years in my businesses and real estate endeavors.Especially when things turned South and they always eventually do.Start slow, start small, buy with cash and build from there.Just my opinion and wishing you much successps.

But if you have done cost segregation studies and have 1245 / ordinary recapture to deal with, all of that income is taxed in the year of the sale, regardless of what you received for proceeds.Not previously as big of an issue, but in this world that we have had the last few years of 100% bonus depreciation, it is rearing its head more and more often.

So, last month I was laid-off from a job I held for about two years.

There's a long thread here on BP about RTR.Do some searching!