First home- single, 2, 3, 4 family?

[Allana Alex]

Hello everybody, I am so glad to have found this site, it is so helpful and informative.  My name is Allana and I am from Brooklyn, New York.  I spent a great portion of my life in school and as such lost out on a lot of financial/investment opportunities since I was in school or in low paying jobs in order to gain experience.  Now I am finally at a point where I have the resources to purchase a home but am wondering given everyone's experiences, investing in real estate, what would you advise to a first time home buyer, a single family, 2, 3  or 4.  

While I would love to have an entire home to myself as I see it as my sanctuary after a challenging work day I realize the financial advantage to having people assist you with your mortgage although being a landlord comes with certain headaches.  Any suggestions as to what I should purchase as my very first home particularly if I wish to later become a real estate investor?

Thanks