During housing downturns I find I can purchase properties from other investors who borrowed excessive funds to buy real estate.I guess(if it were me) I would do one flip per summer and accumulate rentals as I had funds.Like I said, no one can tell you what to do.Good Luck on your properties and your decision.Bill

I do both:  have several rentals to build wealth and flip to accumulate cash. 

About 9,000 U.S. taxpayers have each accumulated at least $5 million in individual retirement accounts. 

They run out of cash and they can't take care of their rental properties.If you have no cash, goal #1 is to get the cash.Wholesale, or fix-n-flip houses...or even being a real estate agent first so that you can sell houses to supplement your income and accumulate cash...or just (and combine it with) save money by being wise in spending it.In parallel to accumulating cash, you can accumulate knowledge and network so you can find the right people who can help you accomplish your goals.These 3 things are what I did when I lost everything back in 2002-2003.

It will just take longer to accumulate a portfolio enabling you to retire. 

This thread is certainly helping expose me to other options.So to summarize, I really like the idea of being an equity investor and recycling that same money multiple times per year to accumulate wealth.

If neither investor buys additional properties, then after year 10 the 1st investor continues to make $25k/year and the 1st makes only $10k/year.If each buys added properties whenever the CF accumulates enough to buy them using the same method all the way through, the 1st investor can buy their 2nd property in year 11, then in year 6, etc...The 2nd investor can start buying in the first year (6th property...and $30k in CF now), then the 7th in year 2 ($35k/yr), and the 8th and 9th in year 3 ($45k/yr), and so on.Now I'm not saying I would be buying just SFH all the same. 

I've accumulated 7 rental properties all with solid returns.

If the market stays, people will rent storage spaces, because they still accumulate things. 

Accumulate the cash and investments now, retire (by my standard), and work the land.