There aren't many "short-term, get rich quick" type investment options in SoCal today. 

Your credit score will be worth improving to acquire better financing options.

Be sure to explore all around the forums as well as many of the FREE tools that Bigger Pockets provides.I am on the lending side of things and am always happy to hop on a call to discuss loan options that are out there, even if not offered by my resources. 

I promise you will have options once you finish renovating.If you purchased correctly (location & purchase price), you will have enough equity so that you can either sell it for tax free capital gains, cash out refinance (if mortgage rates are lower), or pull a HELOC to acquire your next property!

It's eating away every bit of cash flow from the property and then some.Both units currently have baseboard heating - which I've heard can be on the more expensive side of heating options - but I'm not sure if this amount is realistic for the area, or if there is a better heating option that I should look into for a reasonable cost.

Hey @Tori Rhodes - As a builder myself here in Chicago that is a question I hear often.Before looking into your loan options, I'd look long and hard at the cost of land and construction in your Grand Rapids area. 

While I certainly think that reducing retirement account contributions and investing in real estate could be a great option for an early retirement, it requires honest conversations and detailed projections around your current portfolio's performance and expected rate of return on future acquisitions.

Focus on networking, learning financing options, and saving up so you're ready when the right deal comes.Good luck!

One option I'm pretty familiar with is land conservation easement/fee simple - though this is more of a strategy to help with all AGI rather than strictly capital gains.

It's great to see the inventory is coming back there are a lot of options out there and I'm feeling excited!