I'll see if I can round up some local recommendations for a mortgage broker and see what they have to say.Its not as rural around here as it used to be - its all subdivisions and commercial development everywhere ... though the traffic still doesn't hold a candle to the traffic in DC :)Thanks,Amy

I don't need the cash flow now, and whether I'll need it then isn't the point...the goal is to have this safety net that I know that no matter what happens to me that income will be there.The "lend hard money" route might not be the best route for you if it takes up a significant portion of your liquidity. 

After a roller-coaster ride for the past 2 months, it appears that I'll finally be closing on my first commercial property on October 1st.Two of the three retail/office tenants in the building have leases expiring on October 31st.

Instead of looking for something to assist in real estate investing concentrate on what you are interest it and prepared to make a career of.

@Lucien Gautreau I visited this property recently; I'll DM you.

I’m an investor give me the address and I’ll tell you what I’d pay.

I’ll try that out So it doesn’t really matter how many units it is

So I guess I'll advise my friend to head on down there tomorrow. :)

I'll PM you when I have some answers. 

I'll address #2 by saying you can get year-long leases.