If you feel the risk of a HELOC is too much then you are  defiantly not prepared to invest.You are starting a business, a very secure and well proven business, but a businesses non the less and they do have risk and do go bankrupt.

@Juan Francisco yeah that makes sense actually...if the situation is the seller needs to get rid of the property or face being bankrupt then it it worth the shot for then to do a subject to type of deal 100%

It doesn't make any difference how many books you read or podcasts you listen to, you'll still make mistakes... but it's better to make mistakes on a smaller project that you can learn from and then use those mistakes to be more successful on your next larger deal vs starting out with an apartment building where the mistakes could potentially bankrupt you. 

Which is why they're still vacant lots - until the logistics change, or are taken on by either of these two groups: ignorant wannabe moguls (soon to be bankrupt), or, rich couldn't-care-less show offs! 

Just some time ago there was a post here where a businessman who was earning $1.5 m a year got sick, couldn't work for many months and is now going bankrupt and short selling his house.

Throw in longer than expected vacancy and you could easily bankrupt many people.

I believe the brrrr strategy will cause a lot of people to go bankrupt and if you remain debt free, you'll be in line at the courthouse to purchase :) I can get a loan without refinancing my current properties and you can too.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/bankrupt-te...I just googled it and learned quite a bit.

Separate LLC's the tenant can bankrupt the hell out of them.

There is no way I will every make a penny on this property and it just might bankrupt me.