Advice on where to put cash, cash flow is priority!

[Brittany Farrell]

Hi! I am new here, but I'm in Property Management and have ventured into investing myself, and am looking for advice on how to best grow my passive income so I can stay home with my 6 month old baby for as long as possible. (I'm currently doing independent property management/consultation and work from home to fund this.) I have about $200 - $250k to put toward an investment, but I just don't know where to put it or what is best right now. The Tri-Plex I own is in Grand Junction, CO and I have a Property Management company managing it. It Nets aprox $800/month. My commercial building nets about $900/month, with a relative being the primary tenant. 

I don't think I will qualify on my own for traditional financing with my reduced income, and working for myself. I've never looked into hard money, and don't know that much about it. Should I try to save more cash, and try to buy something outright? If I do that in Grand Junction, I would probably only be netting $1,500ish/month. Or should I be trying to leverage? And if so, how and where? I need this money to grow. Right now it's in a high interest savings account with 4.3% interest so I'm making about $600/month just through that. 

I should also mention that we are currently living in California, but we do not own a home and I’m very uncertain if we will stay here. We have vaccine hesitances, and doubt we will be able to put our children in public school in the state. We’re open to Oregon, Idaho, Colorado and Montana. Buying a duplex to offset a our mortgage so we have a home base somewhere may be another possibility.

My baby needs me.. so I need this income! Any advice/input is warmly welcomed. Thank you so much :)