A small multifamily property is a smart choice for a first investment—it offers a great balance of income potential and manageable scale for someone new to the space.Don’t worry about being ambitious; it’s clear you’ve done your homework, and you’re already ahead of the game by setting a clear goal.

Quote from @John Morgan: I’d do individual cash out refis on them to scale up.

Time allows for adjustments, scaling, and reinvestment in ways that short-term projects simply can’t achieve. 

I see it that your first decision is; to scale (grow), to coast (doesn't sound of interest or else you wouldn't be asking these questions, right), to exit (cash-out) or to transfer. 

Give The Ultimate Guide to Grading Cleveland Neighborhoods a read.

I even identified a viable property to do this already, but may not have my ducks in line yet to execute with a group.If I can get a fund going, I plan to scale it and do more of these projects since I have the blue print to do this over and over, but just need cash.

But it's YOUR money, and Real Estate, to put it mildly, is a contact sport).Month 5: Deals & Network (15-18 hours/week)Submit first offersAttend 2-3 REI events monthlyBuild social media presenceKey Goal: First offer acceptedMonth 6: Scale & Automate (15-20 hours/week)Delegate initial tasksEstablish morning/evening routinesCreate follow-up systemsKey Goal: Sustainable weekly schedule🚫 Common Pitfalls to Avoid:Overcommitting earlyNeglecting W2 responsibilitiesSkipping system creationTaking on too many mentor calls✅ Success Markers:Consistent daily actionsGrowing networkClear systemsNo work conflictsSteady deal flowMaintained energy levels👉 Action Steps This Week:Audit your current scheduleBlock 2 hours dailyChoose your power hour (morning/evening)Set 30-day milestoneGeneral Comment:  obviously not everyone will follow these suggestions.  

Partnering with others can help you scale your business and access greater resources.

In that they will detail the scales they use, including at which level of renovation it's possible to get things "reset" so it is appraised as if it is a new built property.

I found ways to borrow the cash and did 5 cash out refis within 7 years to recycle the equity to scale up.