Newbie from Denver, Colorado

[Taylor Rees]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a long time Denver resident looking to increase my income through REI, though still exploring what "niches" and locations I'd like to focus my energy on. I currently own my primary residence (purchased in 2011) as well as a rental property (a single family HUD home purchased in 2009), both located in Denver. I was ready to begin exploring real estate as a source of additional income more seriously back in 2011/2012, but then other business opportunities got in the way. Long story short, I'm now an owner at a small brewery in the Five Points Neighborhood in Denver. The brewing industry is fun and rewarding (I've been a brewer for 14 years now), but nobody brews beer for quick profit. In the meantime, I'm back to exploring REI as a potential source of income, which in turn led me to the already incredibly helpful BP podcast and community. I've already enjoyed tons of podcasts and numerous posts, and am excited to dive into some of the BP books available.

I'm hoping for any input on my situation, which I'll explain below and is mostly related to money. While I can't currently offer any worthwhile REI advice in return, I can offer a free beer to anyone who happens to find themselves in Denver!

I don't receive a W2 and my income is not enough to qualify me for a conventional loan. I only have about $7k I might be able to access (in the forms of dividends from a life insurance policy I can borrow from).

I have a good amount of equity in both homes (conservatively, around $350k combined), but not sure how/if to access it? Do I try to get some sort of an equity financed heloc or non-traditional refi? I've also debated selling the rental (Mortgage is $72k, ARV is $290k) and reinvesting the money. I'm kind of stuck here...Even if I sell the rental, I'll need to put some work and money into it...I'm not sure if I'd even be able to get financing to do this (hard money loan?). If I don't fix it up, I'm pretty sure I can still sell it, but for much less, likely to an investor or maybe someone with 203k loan. This is my main road block now, as some people tell me I'd be crazy to sell the rental (after all expenses I still cash flow around $700/mo), and I understand the sentiment. But I also need some cash to get moving.

Once I do find a way to get cash, I'm thinking of looking at Cleveland and Akron as possible locations to invest in rentals or flips (I grew up in Akron and still have friends and family there and am somewhat familiar with the area). But I'm open to suggestions.  Denver seems like it might be tough to get into right now. 

Or..Maybe it's just not the right time for me to start investing in real estate?

Thanks for reading my rambling and I look forward to learning from and eventually contributing to BP!