Gradually, I am trying to expand to west Cleveland and the middle burbs.  

My wife and I had gone to one of those 3-day hotel banquet room 'boot camps' where they pound you with information for a total of nearly 30 hours, gradually taking away tables and seat, increasing the psychological pressure until you either leave or buy-in. 

What I love about your post is your gradual build into different investing strategies.

I learned a lot from your responses.I agree about thinking of buy/hold properties as a way to develop savings, in that even if they are not putting out a lot of cashflow at first, you are gradually developing equity and hopefully getting appreciation.You are right that 6 months reserve is a decent amount, but I should probably have more.

Since I was young I have been gradually exposed to various elements of real estate, more so in the letting of property.

@David Erjavec Nailed the data.Here are some subjective thoughts from the tech people as I am there often and know of others moving in gradually :"I love dogpatch.""

Be patient, take your time and gradually move some of these funds into these solid niches.

His advice follows what most FA seem to all say: invest for the long-term in stocks and mutual funds and gradually build a solid portfolio of securities .

I see myself gradually building a portfolio of rental homes and multifamily down the road and doing some flips and wholesaling to generate some extra revenue.I would say that I have a good understanding of the process and I enjoy listening to podcasts to learn even more.

Once I believe I can gradually push the envelope closer to the 1100 range over time.