The other option would be a single family town house for 230,000 that I would live in for a year ( first time home buying, get experience of owning a home under my belt) and then after a year, rent out that house, generate cashflow and look for another property.

Hey everybody - I'm looking for more information on lease-to-own options out of Houston, TX. 1. for me personally as I can't secure a traditional mortgage on my own yet, and 2. as a tool in my real estate tool belt. 

Best part is you will be adding a valuable skill to your “RE investing” tool-belt.

No and low money down strategies are great for increasing your cash on cash returns once you get educated and some experience under your belt, but I would first address why exactly you don't have any money and better your personal financial position before thinking about investing in REI.

So you bust your head thinking how you will make it happen so you buy a 3K motor for that bike so it will go faster, so now it is dangerous so you need to add a seat belt and  by the end of that adventure you have something so ugly looking heavy so inefficient... 

@George Blower Thanks George!

Eager to get another one under my belt, I was wondering if anyone has good suggestions for direct mail marketing companies/websites?

Or just another tool to be able to add my belt?

Blake, HI, I am a western slope local also, with about 70 regional flips under my belt in the Telluride Montrose to Delta region. 

.$100k is a pretty respectable amount to consider investing in an apartment complex( 12 to 25 units perhaps) which gives you lot more benefits with lesser work, due to economics of scale.But apartment complexes are a totally different ball-game compared to single family and requires a knowledge base considerably different to that of single-family knowledge base.Having said that, I know people with sizable cash reserves who jumped right into apartments without touching SF houses.Based on your post, I cannot advise you to invest in apartment complexes because it seems to me you need to get more experience/knowledge under your belt.