I've done various methods and would be happy to connect and knowledge share if you are interested.

•Explore private lenders or hard money loans if you need higher leverage, though the interest rates will likely be much higher.

If lenders reject a HELOC due to lack of W2 income, explore DSCR loans, private lenders, or partnerships to fund new investments while retaining your current property.

My advice to you would be to explore the increasing number of renovated 2 families vs the $1.2M+ builds.

This gives you a foothold in the market without overextending financially, and you can always explore other investments later.If you can find a multifamily property in Asheville, that’s an even better house hack.

Even though I had a full size W/D on site, I still used this method.....

Given your concerns about California’s high prices and tenant laws, exploring out-of-state markets is a great idea, especially for rookie landlords.Oklahoma is worth considering!

Here are the details of the property:Property Overview:Location: Texas2 lots, 2 warehouse buildingsFinancials:Mortgage: $4,897/month (balance: $530,000)Insurance: $830/monthProperty Tax: $1,800/monthBuilding 1:1 tenantRent: $7,570/month12,000 square feetBuilding 2:3 tenantsTenant 1: $2,850/month (5,000 square feet)Tenant 2: $1,793/month (2,500 square feet)Tenant 3: $895/month (1,250 square feet)The property was appraised for $2,200,000 three years ago.Given the current rental income and expenses, the cash flow is decent, but my family friend is looking to explore options that could potentially yield better returns.Would it make sense to:Sell the property outright and invest in higher cash-flow opportunities?

I would be delighted to connect if you have any questions or if you're considering exploring the Kansas City market.

And there is definitely ways to structure a sub to deal to protect yourself a little better as a buyer but the problem is and will always be that the lender isnt in the loop with this and can call the loan at any point which puts a lot of risk on the sellers willing to do this method and the buyers who are investing money into these deals.