Condos are a better bet since they usually give you more freedom to rent and are easier to sell.

However, in such a case, a rescue fund would hold a superior position in the capital structure compared to the common equity investors, including yourselves and there acting as a parasite taking equity upside from all common equity investors.While this might provide a safer position for the pref equity slash rescue fund, it would also significantly impact the returns for common equity investors (previous guys).

Because of the balance sheet is off you can certainly bet that something is wrong with the profit loss statement. 

Promissory notes in general, as they have no collateral, seem a bit higher risk, perhaps mortgage note investing which are backed by residential and sometimes even commercial real estate would be a safer alternative, and yet very lucrative, too,  8-12% yieldsFor extra returns, I put a small portion of my portfolio into BDCs, Business development companies, that specialize in loaning money to growing businesses which are too high risk to get loans from proper banks.

If you only plan on owning 2-4 properties, then there's really no harm in self-funding them unless you know a better, safer way to make more than the going interest rate on that money (most investment mortgages right now are about 7%, maybe effectively 5.5-6% after taxes depending on your brackets and tax structure).

That’s the best bet.

Obviously, this is just my own analysis but the new administration anticipation is the flavor of the year.I'm still yet to be fully sold that we're healthy as a country and that 100% of what we're being told will happen-- I'm betting less than 50%.

@Gary Bonds the only way you'll bet a business loan as a newbie, is by cosigning for your business.You'd be better off getting a business credit card you personally cosign for to start establishing business credit.

So your best bet is to put yourself in their shoes and shop around just like they would be.Also, some markets are definitely seasonal, and your market rent could change drastically from winter to spring/summer.

I do see a ton of 2 unit houses on Zillow, so would it be a good bet that these are landlords trying to unload their stock before student housing regs kick in?