I know this post is OLD, but I am in York, PA and invest here.

And I’m not sure but I heard that you have to have 20% of equity in the property before you can take out HELOC, Another thing is that, I’m from another country so I don’t have any family members here to ask for a loan. 

Any good starting points here or any books I should start reading? 

Hi everyone, I just migrated here in the US for around 6 months now, and I'm really fascinated with real estate investing and its potential to change lives.

If you're serious about this, you should definitely consult an attorney.I am not one, but here are some things I've learned from playing around with these types of things:--Trusts are excellent vehicles for anonymity--You can hire a professional fiduciary (like an attorney) to act as trustee so the public contact is not easily affiliated with you. 

Long-time Virginia landlord and property manager here. 

Hey, heres an idea, tell your kids ds to stop picking at the paint and eating it ,then screaming lead posing and try getting a pay day.  

The answer to your question will be found in your lease agreement and no one here has read it so any advice would not add tremendous value.

Hey @Melissa Allen, everyone here said it well.

If you'd like to explore options, I'd be happy to help, but HELOC seems to be the best route for you here.