They’re a great way to learn the entire process of property investment, from acquisition to management, and provide a solid foundation for scaling your portfolio down the line.

It may take a few years to get there, but you'll start from a strong foundation and be far more likely to succeed.

You asked about buying older properties and the biggest issues I have found is that roofs need to be replaced, HVAC needs servicing/replaced, and sometimes there are foundational issues (not super common). 

I've built several homes in the area and stopped targeting that zip code entirely several years ago.

@Allison SomeraDSCR loans are built for investors with investment properties in mind.  

Since you're an individual, mainly whether or not the 4plex was built in the last 15 years.Assuming the tenants have occupied their units for over a year you'll want to give a 60 day notice.Alternative route?

It's a great starter book for the financial foundations of real estate investing: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/set-for-life-revise...I would also recommend Small and Mighty by Chad Carson: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/small-and-mighty-re...Real Estate Rookie: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/real-estate-rookieHouse Hacking: https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/the-house-hacking-s...

I purchased a newly built duplex in August of 2021 to house hack.

The house is re built (low cap ex) and it seems like you have a great tenant.

My builder has 4 houses in the area already built and on MLS but I can't deploy another owner occupied mortgage for another 11 months.