I want to know if I should do a union carpentry or plumbing apprenticeship. Once I complete one of these trade focused areas, what would create the fastest return on investment for building apartments to rent out? I do all the plumbing myself and hire out everything else like say the framers or purchase the materials and do all the carpentry myself while hiring out the plumbers, hvac, electricians? What would pay off the fastest? I could create a side social enterprise that builds fully green apartments. Is there a way I could get free building materials? Like lumber if it's a social enterprise? I could run an all round handyman general contractor that does all the trades for residential and light commercial contracting. My business would work with my social enterprise to build apartments along with regular contracting as well. The rental profits go to building more apartments, fund conservation projects like conservation easements on farms and forests, worker owned aquaponic greenhouses and grocery stores where the lowest paid worker gets a living wage because it is employee owned along with many other good investments and donations.