Best/first thing to do is get educated.

If it's residential then your equity won't change until you pay down the mortgage and/or the property appreciates.

Like many of you I have been listening to podcasts and reading a few books on real estate investing- trying to get a good education about it before fully jumping right into it and continually have heard the bigger pockets is a great resource for real estate investors.

@Daniel Chang  Thanks for some clarification. 

The biggest challenge we've faced by far is educating contractors - first you need to find contractors willing to be educated, then you need to be prepared to pay more during the first couple of projects while they become proficient with their new knowledge.We have yet to produce a retrofit meeting all EnerPHit criteria, but we are getting a little closer each time.

ERGO you hear them say hey we had to change from that provider to another.. but why change.. because they have had such bad experience's.. who had those bad experience's  Not the agent who got paid.. but the poor buyer.. who is now stuck..

@Kay KeovongphetIf you are still employed by Boeing and under the age of 59 1/2, you will not be able to transfer your funds elsewhere.Once you change jobs or reach retirement age, you would have the ability to move to a different plan.

The Great Recession changed all that and I was forced into the rat race which was never a place I ever felt I belonged.  

I also just recently decided the time is now for a change.

Getting educated would be the best way to start.