Kitchens and bathrooms are always a good bet, but think beyond the basics.

You’re able to learn the basics of a real estate investment with lower risk and build equity at the same time.

Things like landscaping/snow removal and labor cost for repairs are going to be highly variable based on your market so you'd need to do your own research on the going rate by either talking to other local investors, running your own google search, or exploring basic services on thumbtack/angies list etc. 

I believe that doing cabins now I can basically do the same thing that took me 15 years to do in houses in terms of growing a portfolio worth 10 to 12 million to where I'll owe 7 to 8 million (3 to 4 million in equity/net worth) that will net about 150k to 200k a year.   

Is there any way to use the equity in my current property to put towards the new property, or am i basically stuck selling the duplex and rolling it into the larger 6 unit rental?

Quote from @Andrew Syrios: So basically note investing is really trashy and you're looking for a continuous stream of income but instead of alimony or child support it's loan payments instead? 

Understand the basics of private lendingResearch real estate marketsDetermine your investment strategy and criteria for loans, including:- Amounts- Interest rates- Repayment termsCreate legal documents with a lawyerNetwork with real estate professionalsPerform due diligence on potential borrowers and their projectsBegin with smaller loans to gain experienceMonitor your investments closelyConsider joining a private lending group for additional resourcesStay informed about real estate trends, lending practices, and legal regulations

Also, "On The Market" has some great content relating to market trends--does a great job of helping you understand the basics of the REI markets.

However, I have helped a couple people with extremely basic home layouts when they were in the process of remodeling their home.

Basically the same thing happened to me with LeGrand.