I'd be looking at multiple structures. we try to build below the average new build cost in our market in Columbus Ohio which is 515,000 last year and we target land 40-50k and urban core adjacent where we get higher price per square foot. we build for clients with margin around $190 a sq ft depending on multi or single. we can get that down in our triplex it's a little higher on our single family homes because of garages and limited economies of scale. hope that helps. idk Philly but if you show me the area and styles of homes I can give you some more insights. 

I started with single-family homes and then moved on to condos, typically holding onto properties longer than I probably should.

The previous owners turned in into a single family home.

Each grouping had a common room (perhaps it was shared by multiple groupings ... this was a detail I missed) with a nurses/aid workers office.Central to the two sides of the complex were common facilities such as a dining hall, gym {perhaps a pool ... another detail I missed}, theatre &  games room.With one of the fastest growing groups in our society being single people, we are examining a related idea of a  complex / building providing a modest-sized 1-bdroom "apartment" with more semi-private and common amenities.When I read the title to your thread, I thought it was a project proposing to mix students and seniors into a single complex ... and came in thinking, this ought to be interesting :-) 

I purchased a single family to rent out the rooms and it sent my finical plan completely off course because I was not as ready as I previously thought.

For most of 2024, we saw 5-6 months of inventory in the Austin area.Here are the December 2024 for Austin and the greater metro:Here’s a chart showing the median sales price of a single-family home in the City of Austin in 2024:The median sales price for a single-family home in December 2024 was up roughly 9% from the beginning of the year.

@Gil CanfuBased on my experience working with over 400 investors, investing in a single-family home in Dallas with a $300K budget is a smart move due to the area's strong rental demand and appreciation potential.

I personally believe single family produces the best rents and appreciation.

$10K seems like a nice, round number...Finally, if you have $250K in cash, I would not put it all into a single property / single dealHope this helps... happy to help further

I focus on rural, single family and duplexes.