The biggest key to a good ROI is getting a good deal when you buy.

We use private lending to finance the purchase and construction of this home.

If you have strong market knowledge and the ability to find deals, working in acquisitions for a syndicator or a real estate private equity shop could be a good fit. 

While not fun, I have managed to get through the issues and returned home to everything being solved.My biggest challenge is finding a handyman I can trust for simple/small/medium jobs.

Looking for help and suggestions- I want to say I have learned my lesson and now know to use a third party to hold funds.This is my first time working with a private lender/family member.

So cash flow isn’t the biggest concern.

Like @Chris Seveney said, private lending is a great way to go as well.  

That's the biggest piece that can surprise investors.

I think the biggest roadblock has been the lack of true testimonials of successful people in these programs.  

A post on the official Norada Capital Management website from 2022 (attached screenshots in addendum), boldly states the following:“Norada Capital Management offers investors opportunities to invest in Promissory Notes with fixed rates of return ranging from 12% up to 17.5% per year,” ( Link ).In explaining the use of proceeds from the promissory notes—specifically the entities Norada Capital Management, a private equity firm, supposedly lends to in order to generate these high annual rates, the company states that:“Three of those five categories that our company invests in as a private equity firm include e-commerce-based businesses very lucrative area, especially if you’re in the right area of e-commerce.