Still green, but thinking a good niche would be housing close to universities and colleges.My long-term goals in Real Estate are to eventually get in to commercial properties such as apartment complexes and office buildings.For the past two years I have been educating myself on Real Estate investment.

If it is a heavy value add deal, the calcs become a little more complex. 

Shopify might feel restrictive because it's not built for the complexities of managing properties or handling booking systems efficiently.

So, I have money in vacation communities, apartment complex's, mobile home parks and even a manufacturing plant.

(I also don't understand how you have a hard money loan with a rate of 7.25%...)offering an equity position that you then buy out in just a few years seems like way too much complexity and risk when you say you just need 30K. 

The recent earthquakes destroyed many multi-family complexes and will continue doing so.

The short version is that you want a strong and diverse job market, low unemployment rates, a growing population, low vacancy rates and new development, affordability/cost of living, real estate laws and court system, good schools, and low crime.Check out the videos from Dave Meyers with BiggerPockets.

.: I'd be tempted into doing an STR (maybe with a higher down payment to ensure cashflow, just run ROI numbers) or an apartment complex - I personally wouldn't mess w/ small stuff.

@Kevin Entner - one is a condo complex, another is a storage unit place.

These are leased to businesses (like chain stores) that cover taxes, insurance, and maintenance, making them much more hands-off than residential rentals.Real Estate Syndications / REITs – You can invest passively in commercial real estate (apartment complexes, self-storage, industrial, etc.) through syndications or real estate investment trusts (REITs) without being a landlord.Hard Money Lending / Private Lending – With $500K in equity, you could act as a private lender, funding real estate investors who flip homes or develop properties.