I'm leaning towards the latter since I tend to go with the simplest answer to questions that are not life or death. 

The simplest way to explain it: know your market and know people.Study the market.

The simplest path to growing your $60k at this point would be to be a Private Money Parnter with someone else's deal. 

That was a brief thought, but the main water shutoff is right there, and don't really want people driving over it.The simplest answer might just be talking to the neighbor and extending the driveway with some gravel to the back so they can pull out through the neighbors lot.     

It seems like it might be the simplest solution. 

Have never done this before but seems like the best & simplest introduction to real estate investing as well as a way to live rent free  (in theory).

Seems like the simplest way to get what you need.

The most important ingredient in real estate is time. 

Probably the simplest to get started might just be a promissory coupled with a joint venture agreement.Here in Chicago that was the first way I took private money. 

Generally speaking just following up often and offering vendors they could use or other real estate information is the simplest way to get started.