Two family vs Three family

[Wilson Rith]

Hello everyone,

I'm just getting started in Real Estate.  I don't own any properties yet.  Right now I'm looking for a three unit property in my area and they are hard to come by, those that become available get scooped up immediately, and those that are left are not desirable.

My plan is to live in one of the three units.  I was wondering if may be it'd be more realistic for me to go for a duplex.  I have an acquaintance at work who is a landlord and he advised me that going for three unit property at first is a better spring board into the market because I'd have two units for rental income vs the one with a duplex.  Also I'm not really looking to make a "profit," just looking to have most of the mortgage paid by renters.   Does it really matter if I start off with a triplex or a duplex if the numbers end up working out?  Grateful for any insights.  Thank you.