Over the course of a year my wife and I fixed it up, rented to friends, ate peanut butter and jelly, did everything we could.

Tell me, what is your bread & butter? 

If you are lucky to time your sales to occur in a rising market, this "synthetic dividend" strategy will produce an income.

The mice licked the peanut butter off the traps without triggering them.

This is your typical, "bread and butter" home.  

BRRRR is my bread and butter so would be happy to help here if you have any specific questions. 

My bread and butter is more the 2 to 10 million real estate transaction range with individual high net worth buyers.   

It seems like whichever one you start getting momentum first will be your bread and butter. 

You may find that two or three flips on your own would offset the corporate gig, just as you may find that a few 1%+ houses and being more passive would equally be beneficial overtime, just as you may realize that Airbnb could be your bread and butter plan of action. 

Though we don't offer Whole Life contracts, I see them frequently, and I used to be contracted for a short time by another carrier who's bread and butter was Whole Life.The "Be Your Own Banker" concept is something everyone is familiar with if you work in this space.