Thanks for your time!

Be conscious of people's time and be respectful of the work your loan officer/broker is putting in to get your deal to the closing table.

Find another property manager first, though.

I could also pay down the HELOC over time for lower monthly payments as time goes on (and subsequentially increasing the cash flow but also the equity I have stuck in the property).The downside is uncertainty about how long I'll need to wait for a better market, and the HELOC being tied up until I can sell or refinance.

For the first 2 years of my journey, I've made them all and fortunately, I've learned from them as well. 

So I recently just purchased my first rental property.

Alternatively, if more time is needed, then they could pay you a fee to sell them an "option contract" to buy the property at a set price within a given time period.

I'm currently a payroll manager part time and have done other bookkeeping / management jobs, so it was recommended that maybe I find an investor who is needing help managing their books or payroll. 

My first choice is Oklahoma City, but I’m also looking into Memphis.

I will soon be purchasing my first property with a self-directed IRA.