Starting out - Next steps for Scaling Up

[Kendric Buford]

First time posting here, so please bare with me. I'm in a unique position after an unfortunate event, but I'm determined to make the best of it! Currently I have a single family property that I'm renting out long term, which is cash flowing well. I also have a second single family that I'm house hacking. I'm about to pay off my house hack and looking to expand. I like the idea of long term rentals with a property manager; the lower headaches are worth the slight drop in cash flow. I was considering going the single family route and getting 1-2 more properties here, but through various sources, a small 4 unit multi-family looks like a promising way to scale up. I am a little concerned with the leverage for obtaining a multi-family. My secondary worry is that a small multi-family is going to be less desirable for would-be tenants. If anyone has some advice on the subject I'd appreciate it.