How would you put 40K to work for you?

[Kyle Martinez]

If you had 40K to work with, needed a place to live, and wanted to start investing in RE, how would you do it? My wife and I need a place to live (obviously) and want to begin investing with something ideal for beginners. I appreciate any and all feedback! In our market area, the average SFH is going for about 290-350K and I can get a 2-4plex for anywhere from 280-500K depending on the condition of the building. The rent to mortgage ratio is also pretty narrow here, as rents have gone up and the cost of ownership is now sometimes cheaper than it would be to rent! Rent near me is 2200+/mo in some SFH's and our current mortgage is only 1600$ before utilities and services.