To me, offering your condolences to strangers while simultaneously trying to get their house for dirt cheap comes off as insincere, bordering on rude.

I realized one day that I spent a lot of time in mobile home parks , with strangers, after sunset. 

This is usually the case, I feel uncomfortable talking to strangers on the phone.

I thought I could use the HELOC but I can’t and now I’m wondering is my only option at this point is to borrow money from friends, family, strangers!?

It's like you are outsourcing your entire decision-making process to strangers on the internet:) We dont know your end goal or the neighborhood or HOA condition and financials.

I've lived with roommates (both friends and strangers) the last 5 years, and really have no issue with the idea, but both our parents think we're nuts. 

I admit, unlike @Mike Lambert, I have not crammed myself into the "public transportation" cars with 5 other strangers, or taken a public bus, but that's more about being a spoiled foreigner that needs air conditioning and personal space than anything else. 

Also there are some people that are very sensitive to the idea of sharing laundry machines with strangers and are willing to pay more to avoid that.

Know what you are willing to "let go" of and I say that because one of my owners ended up selling because she really had a hard time letting go of the fact that guests/strangers were sleeping/having sex in the beds. 

I wouldn't worry about it, they are clearly a tenant rather than a squatting stranger.