I'm trying to step up in scale so I'd like to buy more property than I can on my own.

@Jon S.I think scaling is the way to go.

DIY Choose your market Use an excellent property manager Choose the right property - depends if it is the right location Talk to local investors to get a feel for the market2.) long distancepartner "boots on the ground" Can bring many challenges with it Go on bigger pockets forums a lot to minimize riskTurnkey Buying an investment that is remodeled with tenant in place and property management company in placeBenefits: service ata distance, market insight, professional staff, marketing machine, managementexperience, simplicity.Downside: financial,analytical, ethicalCh. 7 Types of Rental PropertiesSingle-family homesPros: plentiful, strong exit strategy, involves fewer bills, easy to finance, easier to manage, more stable tenants, better appreciation, less expensive to buy, Cons: high cost per unit, slower to scale, limited loans, expensive rehabs, more competition Multifamily Real estatePros: more cash flow possibilities, one loan and multiple units, one insurance policy, math over emotion, business not a hobby, income valuations - based on ROI they give the owners, less competition from homeowners that jack up the priceCons: More expensive, more management intensive, more savvy competition, more complicated, fewer to choose from, government regulationsCondosShort for condominiums Each unit is individually owned by a person HOA feestownhomesLess apartment feel Usually share a wall with the other unit Still have HOAsREOs/Foreclosures - "real estate owned" Usually something distressed about the property - investors need to see past the superficial flaws Banks are numbers-driven, not emotionalFixer-Uppers - a property that needs significant or minor rehab donePros: less competition, forced appreciation, potentially more cash flow, unique financing optionsCons: hidden expenses, stressful, more out of pocket costsQuestions you should ask yourself: How bad is it?

Large and national may give you scale of price but be harder to talk strategically with. and you may find that your experience is still determined by the quality and experience of sales person you are assigned to.There's a lot of moving parts but as you can imagine, if the IRS is going to give you an incredible gift like the 1031 to leverage your portfolio it's going to come with some hoops and strings :)

On the scale, I always lean in towards the cash flow side as I feel it's more conservative.

Too small and you don't get experience or scale of cost. 

Some can make it work and eek out a profit with volume and scale.

To offer any kind of input on the cash vs financing, it really depends on how you plan on BRRR'ing, the pace in which you want to scale, and what you are valuing (cash flow vs upper level tenants, appreciation vs cap rate, etc).

Too small and you don't get experience or scale of cost.

The issue with time comes with scale.