Personally I would rather finance it and keep the cash in hand to go buy more properties than pay the full amount out of pocket, regardless of the potential tax benefits.

Using a loan lets you spread your money across more deals, scale faster, and potentially see bigger returns.

While showing one of the newly vacated units to a potential renter, he informed me that he was displaced because of the hurricanes, and that FEMA was providing him with assistance for moving, including paying his security deposit, rent, and moving costs.

The policy consideration behind the higher leveraged loans is to provide financing for individuals who have high earning potential and are at the start of their career where the earning potential has not yet materialized and perhaps are dealing with the added burden of student loans.

@Anton TikhomirovPrices and potential (cash flow) returns can be slightly misleading if the investor only looks at these. 

—this sounds like a great property with a lot of potential.

The economy is rapidly growing so we see both cash flow and appreciation potential here.

I also think college can be a good experience with potential lifelong contacts.  

I imagine there are more neglected homes like this with some potential in your area.

If you go through RTR, I would ask to see the employment and rental history of potential tenants so you can weigh in.