Advice for next step

[Derek Heinz]

Cheers, all. I have a primary home in North Bend, WA (30 miles east of Seattle), a fast-growing town. I also have a rental in Vancouver, WA with good tenants and equity in a hot market. I'm wondering what to do next. Oh yeah, I'm 50 years old and am hoping to retire in the next five years if possible. Doing so will largely depend upon what I'm able to do with real estate. I have a good job, but it requires a lot of time and responsibility, and I'm burning out fast. I've considered selling my primary. I could pull out between 300 and 400k from that. I've also considered renting it. That would cash flow to the tune of about $700, maybe more. One other problem, though: The home next to me has become the neighborhood meth house, which is clear to anyone at first glance. I mention this because it will absolutely affect my ability to sell it for top dollar and possibly even to rent it out. I'm considering waiting them out before selling or renting. The cops are well aware of what's going on there. The occupants rent, but the owner is out of state, very old, and uninterested in what's happening there. I'm hoping the occupants will eventually get arrested, but I've hoped that for three years now.... The house is in terrible shape, and I've reached out to the owner, telling her I'd like to buy it. So far she has been uninterested. Also, I'm not very liquid right now after putting a lot of money into a new roof, siding project, and other home improvements. I've considered renting it out and house-hacking, possibly using an FHA to get in. Any other thoughts are greatly appreciated!