Safe may mean using low rate fixed loans on bread and butter houses, cash for unique opportunities.   

The house you describe is my bread and butter. 

It comes in the highest durability rating (there is scientific lab test numbers rating different tiles including the ones you guys are talking about)  The only problem for me with it was the crappy labor I had to choose from the job being near Houston right after Harvey .. that kind of hard tough tile is sharp cornered like marble so you got to get a better tile setter that will butter the tile and floor, and also float it with level or the tile will be uneven slightly enough to give sharp edges snagging peoples socks.I am now building 14 more apartments and I got to decide on floors real soon, I want to know more about that PVC, that sounds real interesting. lot easier than tile I a talking about That kind of hard tough porcelain tile cost about $1.10 to $1.30 a foot when buying bulk and the labor need to be over $2 a foot, Plus floating the floor when needed.

However with the Cap. rates as low as they are and virtually zero experience in the land lord business we've decided to get our feet wet by basically creating a portfolio of homes which would basically act as a "synthetic" mobile home part.

Meaning if your project is one that is their bread and butter you'll get a better rate than if it's one they've never done before. 

Like trying to figure how much to butter your popcorn.

That is a solid start.Finding off market properties is the bread and butter of REI.If you can find off market properties you control the game you are a god among ants.

@Paul Sassin - That's bread and butter stuff for community banks and credit unions. 

Residential redevelopment has been my only gig for the last 5 years, and is my only bread and butter, so it would be nice to have rental income.

Our family chose flipping homes as our bread and butter because it seems that the overall real estate market is not that great of a factor.