As far as a multi, personally if all things were equal I'd go for the multi for a few reasons.  1) Added diversification.. if one tenant doesn't pay, you can still cover property expenses with the other tenants 2) Shared capex... typically, one roof and one property to maintain but multiple streams of income 3) Less vacancy.. usually multi's rent for lower, for example one of mine is the sweet spot of 3 bedrooms for $1300. 

Make sure you have a cushion and an outside source of income and buy in a market where the population is larger and there is a diversification of jobs.

I also like to diversification it ads.

If you like RE as an investment class, why not just throw it into REITs as a diversification play?

What you lose in local expertise with a nationwide fund you gain in diversification.  

There are different types of investment properties, such as multi-family properties, single-family homes, and beach houses/student housing near universities, which offer income diversification, house hacking potential, and scalability.

You're in growth mode so diversification exchanges can be very powerful.

Diversification is the key, I'd like to start another business not related to real estate (most likely in technology).

Diversification: Diversifying your investments can help spread risk.

I agree with diversification of assets and income.