This particular deal took over three years, but it was never about the money.

If you have negative cash flow, you are losing money.

@Jason Taken hard money financed

I did nothing except supply the lot and money.

For plans that will pay off later, get into house hacking, save money for a first payment, meet people in local real estate groups and find a mentor, and put money into things that earn without much work like stock index funds or ETFs.

@Liam Bell"Rich Dad Poor Dad" and Gary Keller's book "The Millionaire Real Estate Investor" teach key tips for buying homes to make money.

She doesn't need the money, so its more of a matter of recouping what she invested, and making somewhat easier on me to be able to pay her back. 

If you cash out equity in a property, you are "borrowing" that money from the lender.

do some odd jobs--plenty of contractors are looking for help...start a lawn care business (extremely popular right now), work for a company that's involved with real estate such as a property manager, title company or hard money company (F-Street is often hiring) or a real estate investment company? 

Any money back is a good thing