A more conservative path to REI?

[Daniel Walker]

All,
I'm a young guy who hopes to get started investing in the next couple of years. My mindset (and my wife's) has always been to avoid debt like the plague. This of course creates a conflict when trying to use other people's (bank's) money to finance a deal.

How many of the pros out there have a similar, no-debt approach? Thoughts? To those who do see, and use, the benefits of leverage, where is the sweet spot where you are making good return without being over-leveraged?

Thanks!