The market does offer lower priced investment opportunities and higher cashflow returns, with ongoing revitalization projects like the DORA boosting appreciation potential.

Real estate investing has been a passion of mine for time with my mother also having invested early on where I likely have gotten the love and desire to follow similar foot steps.I have taken last 6 months to educate myself and currently own a single family home as primary residence and would like to expand to multi family properties (2-4 units) for additional stream of income, not to mention potential tax benefits for long-term investing.Based on current living situation, I have a fair amount of equity established in my primary residency along with having enough cash to either pay off house completely or use towards investing in a multi family property.Given that I'm the sole source of income for our household with my wife being the home maker for our two kids under 2, trying to weigh out risks with getting started now or perhaps waiting. 

The properties are well located in Denver with value add potential and all rents are currently well below market. 

I don't want the opportunity to pass so I'm reaching out to family and friends who would potentially want to invest too.

@James Wise gonna have to disagree with the "lie cheat steal" concept regarding residents.Any resident has the potential to be less than desirable.

The Main St property in Grainfield, KS, offered a promising opportunity due to its low purchase price and strong potential for a high return after renovations.

Duplexes or small multifamily properties, even with value-add strategies, rarely match the potential of single-family homes in the right neighborhoods.In summary:Don’t be discouraged by low cap rates—they reflect market expectations of future growth.Focus on single-family homes with high equity potential in desirable areas.Avoid chasing the "economy of scale" myth with small multifamily properties—they often come with higher turnover and lower buyer appeal.Think long-term: prioritize properties that grow in value, even if cash flow is tight at first.

A potential challenge with a HELOCs is they are based on the current appraised value of your home, not the improved value, so you would need to make sure you have enough accessible equity.

@Shayan SameerThe non-paying tenant could impact your short-term cash flow, so consider the potential costs and timeline of eviction in your state.

Think about all the extra time trouble and cost it takes to turn an ordinary house into a vacation rental...just my two cents though...