Explain to the seller why you are below their asking price and make sure they understand.I graduated from college with a business degree that emphasized real estate.  

That said, the weather may change here in Colorado (Global Warming) and we may have a high fire danger season this summer.  

As someone with a public relations degree, I definitely get the need for advertising.

I am 31 years old and have an Associate's Degree in Business.

So its conflicting numbers to some degree but basically I assume I would get hopefully maybe $40k through the HELOC to invest in.

That's a good start, but just like earning a college degree, you need a good professor along with your own self study in order to get a solid "A" in the course.  

Only 4 of the houses are currently occupied and paying rent.1 eviction is in the works4 need varying degrees of repair.

If we sell our home, we'd move and live with family or rent while I finish my degree and we can identify a great deal on a duplex.

I went to college and got a business degree that empasized real estate.That same year that I graduated, in 1980, I got a broker license.

Right now, for us, not so much a problem as I still have 6 houses that need renovating to different degrees that we've accumulated over the years, not to mention starting a new business hopefully in the fourth quarter of this year.