Investing direction advice

[Kenny Gill]

Finally put some change together to be able to purchase a house outright cash for 21k it's an REO & with a little luck & the right timing i got it under contract. ARV should be around 120k. I need advice on how to proceed after closing. It was being used as an illegal 2 fam. I want to put it back to a 1 fam. My question is should I be more conservative & put the work in the house myself w/ my own funds 10K & have a fully paid off house that will cashflow 100% it may take me 2 months to do this. Or should I take a mortgage out on it for say 60k, pay off my personal debt maybe about 15k thereby raising my credit score & take the rest of the money & buy another house cash? & continue that process.
I know that I should leverage this house to continue to buy houses. But there is something about owning a house free & clear of any mortgage that is in the back of my head. I mean people work their whole lives to pay off a house. If I were to take the conservative approach I could save up enough funds in a year to buy another house for cash 30k.
Your advise is welcome