But there is only so much shelf life life for us guys in the trades.

This assumes the property provides sufficient cashflow to service the debt, and also assumes the value of the property has not decreased.A private lender with, say $30K, who is looking for a longer-term, stable investment might consider lending you their funds for, say 5 years with a balloon payment.

@Donald M. with all due respect, an implementation using off-the-shelf Arduino RFID reader in the hands of a software integration consultant company may be a cost effective answer.

Risks can be mitigated and avoided to a large degree, but never fully eliminated ... so there is no investment vehicle in the world that will allow you to multiply your money 2-8x in 2-4 years with zero risk ... you should run away from anyone telling you otherwise. 4 things will keep you out of trouble and safe in a downturn, and you need all 4 (not just one):Equity: From a down payment and/or forced and/or market appreciationQuality Cash Flow: Not just any cash flow, but low maintenance, low volatility, stable, high quality cash flow that comes from high quality tenants who want to live in high quality property in high quality location.

Learn from your Uncle than once that's stable then try another method.  

Now that Amazon is getting into groceries with same day deliveries, I wonder how much will that disrupt traditional grocery chains and their supply chain since commodities have a more limited shelf life.Amazon is a disruptor to the grocery industry

FIRST UNIT ADDRESSScope of WorkINTERIORCut steam pipe above electrical box in basement and cap securely away from electrical boxSeal hole in floor made by the pipe that was cutSecure interior stairway railing so that it is stable and does not moveIn small room behind bathroom on second floor:Remove the current damaged ceilingDestroy any mold in the ceiling cavity, provide pictures after it is cleanedInstall new drywall ceiling SECOND UNIT ADDRESSScope of WorkINTERIORRemove all current carpet throughout entire unitRemove all flooring layers including subfloor throughout entire unit excluding kitchen, including pantry rooms off of kitchenInstall new plywood subfloor everywhere flooring was removedIn small room behind bathroom on second floor:Remove the current damaged ceilingDestroy any mold in the ceiling cavity, provide clear pictures after it is cleanedInstall new drywall ceiling BOTH UNITS EXTERIORSufficiently grade the ground outside the entire building so that water poured on it will run away from the house at any point ROOFReplace metal flashing on both chimneysReplace damaged slate so as to seal all holes as observed by an interior attic/roof inspectionCLEANUPIt will be the seller’s responsibility to order contractor cleanup of worksites.COSTAll costs will be the responsibility of the seller.

You need a much more stable market in which to invest I just posted on another thread, and will copy and paste it here, as it relates to your success:I'd buy in the path of growth towards the big city, where jobs are and prices are a bit lower.

Account Closed on developing your real estate IQ, but I would also add learn your market - the type of market where you are (depreciating, appreciating, stable, etc), the rehab markets in your market, the rental markets in your market, etc...Working with a true buyer for a deal or 2 is not a bad idea.If you go at it on your own, learn what you can ask in assignment fees in your area.

We see high returns, built in equity and a very stable market overall.