As you build up equity or cash you can start to grow into mobile home parks, SFH, fix flip, MFH, land development,’etc.  

But we won’t qualify for a primary residence refi anymore, and I’ll need more equity to refinance as an investment property.Future investment goals: I want to own rental properties in the future, but I’m not sure if holding on to this one (which we already have) is the right move, or if it makes more sense to sell and build up savings for a better investment down the line.I’d really appreciate any advice on what I might be overlooking here.

You need to build up personal reserves and then save for a down payment. 

Consider roles like property management, real estate brokerage, or project management at a development firm to build up more industry experience.

Instead of spending a few thousand to remove the tree, you should be able to pour root killer in the line once or twice a year to ensure no further build-up.

Are you trying to build up credit for the LLC so it can borrow directly without your DTI and use only the LLCs?

Being able to strategize and plan out each piece along the way can really help you save money and build up those investments faster.Have fun along the way and best wishes to you!

The post below has a link to it if you’re curious:https://www.biggerpockets.com/topics/693527It was my attempt to model the key financial incentives for REI, which members have mentioned above, like inflation protection, capital appreciation, tax benefits, equity build up, and of course the beauty of refinancing.If you’re familiar with project financing you’ll know as value of real capital appreciates regearing will boost returns quite significantly.

If you want to build up a portfolio quickly the income you can get with an engineering job might be a great starting out point with W-2 income for more down payments and purchases.

Build up a portfolio of completed BRRRR's, flips and a solid contracting team.