My primary question is: Should I focus on buying a multifamily property and growing slowly to build a stable financial foundation, even though my area would have minimal cash flow and be more of an appreciation play?

@Alan HaleCan’t answer number 2 but financing has nothing to do with your profit I’m it doesn’t matter what you buy whether a car, home or pack of toothpicks, your profit is what you paid for it minus your costs/expensesWhere financing does come into play is it is a cost as money is not free - but it’s only what you have paid for that financing.Hope that makes sense

So I don't think it's a trend, I think it's the reality of the play between the population explosion, gentrification, and affordable housing. 

In particular, fair housing issues may come into play when a husband and wife or "couple" apply jointly.

Of course the right loan would have to come into play with this scenario.

I would not play around with creative finance in terms of spending time trying to find it because it will end up not being the best use of your time unless you have marketing money and understand the different scripts and way you can help people with seller finance or sub to.

We'll see it in about 4-6 months that this economy isn't as strong as the market suggested it was.The market is playing the fiscal side, the economy is playing the labor & debt side.

and deed flip flop is going to cause tax implications as someone who was raised i sub to and wrap my dad did them in the 70s and 80s and I have bought about 200 sub 2s but my play was just to fix flip and sell not to own long term this is where the risk comes especially those that wrap these to buyers that may or may not pay. paying off mortgage is the ONLY sure fire way to make sure these dont end up in a mess.OR....

But cashing out stocks to buy RE, I could see that playing into it. 

My dilemma is that the accurate numbers are needed for me to submit a fair offer.The location does play a big role and it’s in south NJ where property prices are on the rise but not as much as northern and central NJ.