If you're househacking, Conventional is likely the best option for you and will only require 5% down on multifamily.

Paid platforms often offer additional features like market analytics, off-market property leads, and filters for investor-specific criteria, giving them a leg up over free options.Exactly, most platforms have to offset cost somewhere because of how expensive it is to keep the data up to date.

I have heard about doing deals with little to no cash down but I'm skeptical about whether creative financing options are truly viable.

I did a lot of research on options.

@James Enyeart best option is the one giving you the most control.So, see who consider a land contract or lease-to-own.

Thus, I started looking into vacation rental and co-living platforms to see if I could get the same level of comfort building a portfolio of properties in various cities.

Another option would be to find someone to buy it and do a lease option contract with you.

The referral fees, which operate similar to a multi-level marketing models, often incent these students to post the rare assignment fee check that does get done to every social platform they can and make it seem like they have an "in' with the guru leading the program. 

My preferred options are:1. house-hack with a duplex under ARV; live in one unit => renovate => rent the other unit2. buy a SFH under ARV that could be converted into a duplex (preferably adjacent units vs top/bottom) - I'm assuming the biggest challenge with this strategy would be separating the infrastructure for utilities; and costly.

If you're new to real estate investing and looking to get the best value, I'd suggest considering **house hacking** using an **FHA loan**—it can be a great option for first-time buyers.