Best real estate route for first-time buyer with construction skills?

[Sven Li]

Hi all,

I'm a part-time attorney in the Puget Sound region; I've never bought a home and I have fairly comprehensive construction skills from years in carpentry. I was wondering if there is any general consensus on the best use of my skills in terms of a real estate investment route? In other words, perhaps a FHA 203k rental property, diy flip, subcontracted flip, basic rental property, etc? I only have access to 40k max in cash through family, but I have excellent credit myself and credit cards. I have the legal side of things taken care of. I would prefer to do the construction myself but I realize that may not be financially worth it if I can hire it out. I have the patience to do thorough research but I'm not really that socially connected in terms of finding cheap properties or the business in general. Getting a return in a few months is a priority over decades-long investment.

Thanks so much for any tips!