While personal loss is difficult and understandable, running a business that directly impacts property owners requires a contingency plan.

Congratulations on the duplex -My investor clients have acquired several multi-family investment properties locally in the market I operate in Northwest Indiana - Figure out your personal investment objective for the next 4 years and align yourself with the next property that make sense in this current market environment-

Personally that is what I wanted, an active mentor. 

I personally would revisit your strategy of buying a negative cash flow property in SoCal, right now.

This means, on average, that this person is facing foreclosure or bankruptcy, and has no other reasonable options.

Your personal loan has a 5 year balloon period.  

My personal opinion: he's not the only one "doing it right" but he's definitely on the very short list of those that are.Just my .02note: I don't participate in his deals.

Our short-term residential investment property loans are typically 60-80% LTV and all are personally guaranteed by the borrower(s) -- we pull credit, background and PFS on each guarantor, verify experience, verify liquidity, underwrite the property, neighborhood and zip code.

The northland MAREI meeting and the main monthly meeting at MAREI have a minimal fee, or for $99 a year you can attend all of them for no extra charge - northland is in person, the main meeting is still online, both are great ways to connect and learn. 

This is basically a math problem that will depend on both you personal finances & also how much of this is an investment vs you want a nice house to live in4.