@Samuel Metcalf- sorry ...getting  heloc on the rental duplex  will be hard / impossible to obtain ....if you can  get one - it would be a great option to use for the  remodel / landscape ....if you have  50K equity in your primary -you likely dont have  ample equity position to get a HELOC  on it as the max  comboned loan to value for helc lenders is  85%  ( maybe  90% ) ...I would try getting helocs on both to see whats possible ...if no heloc is possible - use the cash on hand for the purchase down payment / closing costs / loan fee/ prepaids and then use future accumulated savings for landscaping 

I've found that it's nearly impossible to achieve without one in place.

However, I think asking the BP community what they would do if they were you is an impossible question.

., etc.) without any real estate experience is a bit like trying to form and manage a law firm without any legal experience, or trying to establish and manage an auto repair shop without any automotive experience--those would be monumental challenges even locally, but doing it from hundreds of miles away is near impossible.

If you're doing this right it is virtually impossible to avoid the tax man forever. 

Without knowing that it's impossible to say if $17k is reasonable or laughable.

@Sulaiman Shah Pulling money off them to buy a property is close to impossible.

He explains enough that its compelling, creating flexible pricing strategy to drive your calendar to maximum revenue and occupancy BOTH at the same time (which some say is impossible, but it is possible) I know of Rob too but yes compared to Sean he is a beginner.

I live in a very expensive market wich make it impossible buying here so I decided moving out of state to start my house hack

In the current market you may find the third R as the most difficult with current home values and interest rates, but it is not impossible!