My question is what would be the best approach to get on a fixed rate and be able to get some money back in order to invest in future deals.

I would like all the input I can get on a future property.

- as this home will be a future rental.

I am flipping right now to build some capital and cash flow with the ultimate goal of purchasing large multi family residences to buy and hold for passive income in the near future.  

If you have enough equity you can use the HELOC to BRRRR future deals and just pay off the HELOC each time you complete a refi. 

My interest lies in buy and holds so that I can rent out a multi-family unit in the near future for my first investment property.  

At that point in the future you can see what the rent situation is and then you should have a good idea of costs as well since you have been living there.  

What if hard times are in my future and I struggle to pay the HELOC back.

I have used a CPA in the past named Don Mowery at Trout, Ebersole, and Groff in Lancaster, and he gave some good tax advice for our future investments, but if you just need a return filed it will be a waste of $1000 in my opinion.

The board could at some point change the lax sublet policy in the future to try to get it warrantable.