I am sure there are benefits to the HELOC; the obvious being the *potentially* lower monthly payment.

-Ask what needs repaired (related to pain points - the seller will likely minimize the issues but he/she will internalize all the issues)I typically make an offer first.

Sometimes it is a huge benefit to be ignorant at first!

the challenges to reverse exchanges are that they are relatively expensive. 

This is an investment property, and I thought since I have the cash, I can benefit from an all-cash purchase and hopefully get a lower price.My questions are:1) Does it make sense to buy with all cash, and refinance in a few months, knowing i will pay closing costs twice?

I think many out there can relate and understand my concerns . 

You should look for a steal in the surrounding area (you can draw a map as you search on Zillow) or try the area in the Valley Arts section of orange, its near the campus, the price of the properties are relatively low and theres a midtown direct train there (the highland park station)

Aren’t you losing out on the real estate tax benefits using retirement accounts?

My last 2 months have seen at least an hour every day of reading and listening about real estate, taxes, financing option, business systems, and anything else that could relate to the real estate business.

I do have my thoughts about the benefits of 1031 now, after I've done my first.