The way I see it in term of risk/reward , I would do more flips in Maui/Big Island rather than in CA.With that kind of money that you have I would buy one simple STR to live in and use the rest of 5 mil to build flips empire or even hotel like suggested by someone.

Adding other factors will only compound the challenges and work against you as you learn how to be an effective investor.Imagine having to supervise work that should have been completed (but was not) in the Inland Empire.

Ah....yes, whole life insurance as the foundation for my real estate empire.  

I'm in Gilberts and I work with a lot of local investors in Chicagoland, both with getting started/house hacking, and also building up to their first 10 properties creating their REI empire.

Good topic....My son and his wife will inherit my meager 'empire'.

I'm just not sure which route I should take to start building an empire.

In the meantime, they keep running through the BRRRR motions believing they are growing a real estate empire because the BRRRR method pencils best in these neighborhoods which lack the fundamentals that will equate to a true realization event. 

But there are many other companies that are building their own real-estate empires in different ways (e.g.

I'm not saying to avoid debt, I'm saying once you create your empire the best thing to do is start lessening debt.

I have no desire to build an empire.