To buy multiple SF or MF's or one $1M Apt. Complex?

[Mike Moles]

I only began educating myself a couple of months ago here, I have learned a lot and I know I have much more too learn (there is always more to learn!).  I have been fairly successful in my W2 career, not always happy doing what I am doing but the rewards have been decent.  I do want to retire early enough to enjoy myself more, I have an okay work/life balance now but in say 5 years or so ideally I would like to quit my day job and have a few different sources of semi-passive income streams to enable me to spend more time doing what I like to do most (travel, spend more time with my wife and kids etc.).

So in developing a plan, I was thinking today about my current goal of buying several SF and/or MF properties with reasonable CF over then next 5+ years to supplement my "early" retirement.  I calculated what that might look like, of course a lot of what that looks like depends on how good I can buy.  I need to learn more about that and spend a lot of time researching deals in my area.  I have listened to most of the podcasts and it seems like most people start this way and then graduate to apartment buildings or commercial development deals.  And I wondered what if I defer buying those SF/MF properties and save for the large apartment complex instead. I know that not doing those smaller deals will rob me of the real life education, so that's one drawback.  But if I keep learning through BP's and possibly invest some money in the shorter term by partnering on flips or in tax liens or something I could potentially still have the liquid capital I need to invest in the big deal down the road.  I am thinking that having several (5-10) SF/MF houses might have a lower CF when I am ready to retire than the larger apartment complex deal.  Of course both depend very much on the deal(s) and how well I buy, but I'm just thinking that having more capital could net a higher CF deal.

Obviously I have no experience investing in RE yet so any thoughts or advice on this would be greatly appreciated by those who do.