Unemployed 25 year old with 40k savings - where to begin?

[Anita L.]

I work in the technology industry and made around 74k before quitting in December to pursue further education which I've now completed. I just started looking again but have always been interested in real estate investing as either a FT or PT gig.

I live in San Francisco but pay $0 rent because I live with my long-term partner. My expenses average 1k/month. From digging around BP a bit, it seems like buying and renting duplex in a rising market outside CA is the way to go. What are some of the challenges of buying out of state? With 40k in the bank and very low personal expenses, is there anything I can do right now to make a smart long-term investment - whether rental, REIT/P2P loans, or something else?

I have this money invested mostly in ETFs right now but would like to step up and leverage it better by the end of this year. Thanks for any tips or suggestions for further reading!