I agree, it's important to really understand the basics and start small to get your feet wet.

Just like compound interest in finance, small daily habits build exponential growth over time.

Analyze properties that need only minor updates and start small to manage costs and gain experience.

My advice is to analyze your equity, focus on high-growth areas, educate yourself, and start small.

Start with your primary, rent out any spare bedrooms "house hack"Use that to practice upgrades, kitchen, bathroom, curb appeal... etcNow you have experience as a landlord and flipper, use that to buy a distressed propertyAdd 40% equity to the property through home makeover, refinance into a low cost mortgageNow you are cashflowing a healthy margin on a second property, use that to build equity over time, cashout later and buy your duplex/quad.If it's going to take you 10 years to save up a down payment for a small apartment building, yeah it makes more sense to start growing your portfolio with cheap SFR flips instead.Every market is different, every borrower is different, every property is different, it would be ill-advised to recommend anything without recognizing the individual's nuanced goals and objectives with their next acquisition.

I have lived in (with a small child) and own multiple pre-1978 homes that most likely had lead paint in them.

@Randy AchiTo start flipping houses, learn fundamentals through books, podcasts, and online courses, build a network, start small, and practice repairs.

We push for approval from the client even on small issues so that we do not have to deal with larger ones down the road.

If they aren't taking good care of something small like this in the first week imagine how they will treat you down the road, I'd fire them and hire someone else. 

Quote from @Andrea Ward: I recently purchased a small tract of undeveloped, heavily wooded land in North Mississippi in a neighborhood.