You're objective is to look for a "deal".  

As for Victoria I think the next meet up is may 17th  its at the best western by home depot a lot of great people and the organizer always has great presenters.

The lottery period is not open for investors either as it is the period for select properties only open to Government organizations and non profits

Some are organized by the Rein and some by the REIA however there are some organized by individuals.

As a business owner, the heart of your organization beats in the structure that houses it.

So, my questions are can I get to that equity without selling, should I just sell, or is there another way I should look at financing my objective?

In this case, you would organize several investors to make one loan against one property with each of their names listed as the lenders on the note, along with their percent participation.

We have HML who actually organizes a huge meetups here in Houston because they want to fund your deals.

Haven't had any requests for anything else, but I can't see me objecting to a lizard or a parakeet or something like that. 

Have the attorney review the way you plan to operate your organization to make sure you get the best fit for your business plan.