Multi-Family ultimatley you expose yourself to more owner reusability, I like Single Family as the property upkeep is the reusability of the tenant.  

I am approaching this wanting something that needs little upkeep and future work.

I am putting in an offer on a 5 bedroom mansion-style house and was thinking to finish the basement and add in a weight room.  

Loan size would be around $550,000.If I can get approved for that I would have to weight the cost of prepayment.

Would you evict him if he gained a few pounds over the holidays and didn't make weight on the first day of spring training?

A yard for kids and pets (upkeep is tenant's job).  

For $600,000 you could buy a huge multifamily in Kansas and would have to deal with many tenants, their problems, and property upkeep, hardly any appreciation gain.

Knowing who negotiates in good faith and who is an a**hole,  knowing who can close and who wont (This extends to accepting offers with financing from certain lenders) all lends weight and credibility to the offer, or detracts from the offer.

You could also just remove the carpet and pad and screw it down (you'll probably need weight to get the floor to settle tight as you screw).

I have a belief that being with a big brand name company gives you more respect in the marketplace, and thus adds more weight and credibility to your offers.