Is it best to pay for rental property in cash if you can?

[Anthony Jasmine]

I've filed chapter 7 bankruptcy in the past due to medical expenses I couldn't afford anymore. Since then, I've learned how to buy everything in cash including my car and everything else in my life that I possess. I've become quite obsessive with building wealth and listening to audio books. I've taught myself a lot about investing in the stock market. I want to branch out into real estate, and plan to create steady cash flow to live off as I'm sure all of you do too. My fiancee and I are in the works of earning a goal number of $200,000. It's being invested into low cost index mutual funds, and we're still on track to reach our goal number despite the covid pandemic. I'd be buying investment property in CA, and it's not very land-lord friendly. I feel as if I pay cash, then I'm essentially eliminating 90% of risk. 

I have my uncle who's a top realtor where I live and has been selling homes for about 20 years. My fiancee works in marketing at a mortgage company. She works directly with loan officers. Considering that, our closing costs, and our realtors commission would be waived in our first purchase. 

Any suggestions to a motivated guy in his 20s seeking wealth in real estate?