Is her goal to be nice and provide some of the gains or reduce her taxes by trying to split income between her and her ex?

@Rafael Ramos All your goals contradict each other:(1) Cashflow: buy Class C & D properties2) Appreciation: buy Class A & B properties3) Low Crime: buy Class A & B properties4) Why would you want your investments to lose money to lower your taxes?

@Kris TohovitisI wouldn't recommend using your cash to pay off the mortgage on your primary residence since you can likely get a better return on that money by investing it.What's your buying criteria for the multi-family property?

@Carl RowlesI recommend a HELOC or Heloan on your primary residence or the rental if you have enough equity in either.

Experience: Beginner in real estate investingGoals: My primary goal is to learn more about real estate investing opportunities. 

What’s your primary goal for the cash-out refinance?

@John Davey Interest on a home equity loan used to purchase or improve rental properties is deductible on Schedule E as a business expense, but not on Schedule A for your primary residence.

While I do not have an official W-2 currently, I do have a steady income, great credit, and have money saved as well from working since I was 13 years old.I relate to Ian Kay in his journey but also am very determined to make my goals/dreams a reality this year by July 2025.

Managing property can either be a lot of work or fairly hands-off—it largely depends on the property’s condition and how well you screen potential tenants.As for deciding between the two property types, it really comes down to your long-term goals.

I love that you have specific goals for 2025 - I believe if we think it, write it, say it, and share it our goals are 10x more likely to come to fruition.Are you able to do option 2 and just house hack a 2-4 unit building and use a renovation loan which allows you to put down 3.5-5%I highly suggest getting to some local chicago meetup groups (we have an in person one on the 17th)...here is BPs list: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-real-estate-events-...I also have a full list of the chicago meetups that I can share with you too if that'd be helpful.