I ask because there are countless ways to make money in real estate, but like any business, without a clearly defined goal and a well laid plan on how to reach it, all the effort in the world will end up being wasted energy.

(David Greene is the man - his meetups have been very fun and very informative).My goal is to purchase and rent my first single family home in the Columbus area by the end of the year.

Check out David Greene's book on long-distance investing.

And your still pursuing remedies that are a waste of your time and energy despite good advice from many posters on here.

How are people using HELOC's to afford these deals and still come out in the green?

I work in energy consulting in Boulder, and am looking to get my feet wet with a turnkey provider. 

@David Greene @Brandon Turner I know I’m not the only one who needs help with the third R in BRRRR.

My total annual energy/electric bill would be in the $2000-$3000 range (solar reduces it).

In reading David Greene's BRRRR book and Brandon Turner's "The book on rental property investing" they talk about the different types of money making vehicles (cash flow, equity, etc). 

I know (from reading David Greene's "Long Distance Real Estate Investing") that the key to success is finding a "rockstar" team, but that seems easier said then done.