Some lenders will allow you to pay down the principal balance up to 20% of the original principal balance without triggering the penalty, others will flat out state in the note that ANY prepayment partial or full within the period specified will trigger the penalty. 

Quote from @Chase Calhoun: Quote from @Jay Hinrichs: what has caused the in balance  IE more inventory than renters ??? 

Trying to find the balance between tenant stability and portfolio performance.Considered the turnover cost then adjust your rent increase in light of not having a turnover.

I believe Buildium hits that balance.

Reconcile Every Bank, Credit Card, and Loan AccountIf your balances don’t match, your P&L and balance sheet won’t be accurate.

If we skip a 1031 our accountant tells us we'll owe $180K in boot taxes.We are thinking about paying down our loan balance  prior to closing; the 1031 would allow us to borrow less money..... even so, looking at rental properties of various sizes, with 40% down on a 6.99 30 year, we're seeing a few COC's  in the 4-5% range.   

.✅ The arbitrage is massive — sometimes thousands in monthly savings just from getting a lower rate.Now, the catch:You’ll likely need to cover the difference between the sale price and the remaining loan balance (that’s your “buy-in”).

What if the HELOC had existing balance?

Build your core three locally: a multifamily broker who knows mom‑and‑pop sellers, a lender comfortable with small balance multifamily, and a PM with real rent rolls in your target zip codes.

Then when your promotion rate is expiring, you move the remaining balance into a lower interest option.