Starting My Portfolio

[Celeste Fikiri]

Hello Biggerpockets community,

I am a delighted to have discovered Biggerpockets and I am hooked on the podcast and all of the resources. I need some real time advice on how to get started in real estate. My goal is to generate a full time income investing in multi-unit rentals and flipping over the long term.....I am not looking to get rich quick. This is a business I plan on passing down to my daughter. I have inherited a nice amount of money, which has allowed me to go down to teaching part-time (which I plan on doing forever, because I love teaching), but I do not want to continue to use my inheritance to live on. 

Here is where I am looking for some advice. I am not sure which path to take to get started. 

My goal is to have a full time income from my properties, with my teaching income as fun money.

Path 1: I have enough money to buy a duplex or triplex, (in an up and coming community in the SF Bay area) with cash and still have a cushion in the bank. The income from the multi-family would be enough to save, maintain, and modestly supplement my income. From this place I would slowly build my real estate business by flipping and buying and holding through the various means of financing available.   Or should I take path #2?

Path 2: Put my money in a few different local banks, use my savings to modestly supplement my income, apply for a loan for my first property which could be a multifamily unit that I sit on and build from there using the BRRRR method.

As you can see my dilemma is.......use my money to start my first property or use someone else money. I think that there are advantages to both plans, but I am just not sure which one would be the most beneficial. 

I would love any advice you have to give!

Thanks,

Celeste