1st purchase - rental or home?

[Sal DeJulio]

I am a salary employee in Florida who is currently renting a home. I'm interested in starting a scalable real estate investment business. Emphasis on scalable. I'm looking for very low money down options but I'm unsure of where to start, a home or a rental. The whole reason it is even a question is because I can use 75% of the rental income to offset my debt when the lender looks at the debt-to-income ratios, allowing me to purchase more properties down the road. If I start with a home, I won't have any more room for debt (unless I increase my income or remove some mortgage payments). What am I missing?