We have such low inventory with virtually no builders building spec homes around here - if the numbers dovetail in with what the market will support, I'm hoping it's a strategy I can repeat, then move into actual spec homes once that model has proven itself.

I was coming off a bad experience with a Multi level marketing company and wanted a way to earn a second income that didn’t involve that type of thing.

I have built a home in Maryland, and after listening to so many podcasts I am interested in investing in multi family homes less than 6 units. 

We’re looking to buy a multi family home in Long Beach, CA so we can house hack and live in one unit and rent out the others.

They offered to also fully rehab the small multi-family unit as part of my deal.

Multi-family will pay your PITI, repairs, cap x, and might even give you some cash flow while you are still living there.  

For multi-family, if there was an option for increase of value I'd of course see that as a bonus for completing the deal too. 

@Calvin Lipscomb absolutely keep this post here too but I might try asking this in the Multi-Family forum, maybe the commercial forum, or even just the Illinois forum. 

It seems like a relatively great area and it appears multi-unit properties are available there as well.

Multi units are overpriced