Leveraged vs unleveraged

[Jenson Buttwerworth]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the BiggerPockets community. I am also new to the idea of real estate investing and more specifically earning income via rentals. 

My question is about choosing to go down the unleveraged path. I understand that leverage means more risk but at the same time more return on investment. I want the real estate part of my portfolio (I also invest heavily in index funds) to be as less risky as possible. I also have the money in hand to invest so I do not need loans etc!

It seems to me that everyone/everything I read online is about success via leveraged investments. So my question is: is it worthwhile to even think about unleveraged real estate investments? What are the pros and cons of going down that path? 

Thanks