Amanda,Yes, I think that individual's like yourself who are tenacious, self driven, and hard working should open their mind to all the opportunities (not just real estate) that exist where their drive can result in rewarding and profitable work.  

Multif family is bigger game with more risk & rewards.

Some people love the sandwich deal, but be prepared to potentially deal with headaches, because they do happen every once in a while.At the end of the day, which strategy you go with is entirely dependent on how much risk you're willing to tolerate, and whether or not the potential reward justifies the risk.

Flipping is more exciting and rewarding for me because I have a chance to create something beautiful from something ugly each time.

Help people and you'll be rewarded.

You brought value to the house and the neighborhood and got rewarded for it.

The bigger the risk doesn't always mean the bigger reward though.

As such, I hesitate to tell you unequivocally to not pay off debt - that may be the right thing to do.What you are looking for is some sort of risk-reward that compares the two.

A term lease is a reward for being a good tenant and nothing more.  

He was rewarded for his tenacity and creativity.