Real estate investing is forgiving; the average person can still make money even with some big mistakes. 

., and well above the national average of 4.1%.

A paid off property at 5-6 cap rate should also appreciate at about 3.4% per year on average, so my real estate return at 8.4%-9.4% is reasonably close to what I'd expect in the stock market, and the income is tax advantaged.

I believe up to close to 40% down with a 720 or greater credit score on a conventional loan product could give you the best interest rate. 

Hi Shawn-Congratulations on starting out on your real estate investing career.You have a question about whether it is good to have your real estate license or not as an investor and you are leaning toward multifamily investing.I personally think having your real estate license is helpful as an investor.Having your real estate license allows you to work with other investors to help them build their portfolios which helps expand your network while being productive, you can research market value more effectively, find out about deals before they are listed, and of course it allows you to collect the commission on purchasing any listed property.To Your Success!

The state’s housing is also ranked as the fourth most affordable in the country.Alabama currently has the second-lowest average property tax rate in the country at 0.4%, which helps investors keep more of the money they earn.

Once you decide which type of exchange you want to do, you could then narrow down your product / company. 

I've had 1 tenant stay for 3 years, the others have stayed for a year on average but it depends.

I fully renovated the upper unit with well-above-average finishes, and it's been averaging ~$2,850/month in gross rental income over the past 12 months as an STR on Airbnb. 

This can help you greatly with the additional depreciation.Ultimately, med to large MF and small 2-4s are totally different products.