There is now essentially no benefit to obtaining a second home loan over an investment property loan, except for the ability to do 10% down rather than 15% (minimum for investment properties).This info is all related to Conventional mortgage financing.

Consider Future ScalabilityA fourplex is a great starter deal because it combines the benefits of multi-family while still qualifying for residential financing.

@Enrique Roth, I am in the @Derrick E. camp where I would look at the non-tangible benefits of attracting and keeping better tenants.

This means investors are not only benefiting from rental income but also from long-term value growth as these areas develop further.With all these factors in mind, Indianapolis is quickly becoming a prime market for short-term rental investors.

I am looking to buy more properties but putting down 20-25% each time plus closing costs etc is a lot of money that I also want to allocate to other goals.I have heard partnerships are a strategy to leverage other people’s money to create deals that will benefit both sides depending on terms that are setup. 

The benefits of selling as a portfolio is that when you do a 1031 exchange, you won't have to coordinate the sales of multiple properties, And this would minimize the amount of individual exchange fees. 

These people who lived in the house hold used and took full advantage of my father and even tried filing his taxes to receive benefits for their own selfish greed.

That would be the only combo that might justify an expensive training program (and there are very few that are real and worth).IMO, the benefit/cost ratio worth considering is 10 to 1.

First, have a conversation with an accounting firm to see if a cost segregation study will be beneficial to you.You don't want to spend money on something where you won't get a benefit from.

Each option has its own benefits depending on your investment strategy and goals.