Although I would like my first investment to be a single family home.

—can also be acquired on an all-cash basis, but your initial outlay will be a lot higher, and leasing cycles will be longer and more complex than single-family.

., "I will buy at least one single-family home, duplex, triplex, or fourplex before the end of 2019") and then do it.

I pay 4000 a year in taxes for a brand new single family home I can only collect 1100 a month on....4 months of rent to just cover property taxes,  insurance is another 4000k.... that's 8 months gone.  

@DeAnna McKillop-LopezKeep it simple to start, unless you have more than $10M there is no need to do anything but by the property in your name and get insurance if the property is a single family rental.You can do all these other methods but they just cost you money every step along the way.

I think every single time something sells for 3-4-5x what I was willing to pay and I go ask, they know way more than Mr.

Quote from @Andres Triveno: If its as easy as just getting umbrella insurance why do I see so many single family homes with an LLC registered as the owner?

You have saved enough cash to purchase a small 2 bed, 1 bath single-family rental that already has a tenant. 

Its 2 properties in 1 single loan.

Too many people are scared of townhouses and condos, but you are protected against a lot of the repairs of single-family or multi-family ownership.