Start with your primary, rent out any spare bedrooms "house hack"Use that to practice upgrades, kitchen, bathroom, curb appeal... etcNow you have experience as a landlord and flipper, use that to buy a distressed propertyAdd 40% equity to the property through home makeover, refinance into a low cost mortgageNow you are cashflowing a healthy margin on a second property, use that to build equity over time, cashout later and buy your duplex/quad.If it's going to take you 10 years to save up a down payment for a small apartment building, yeah it makes more sense to start growing your portfolio with cheap SFR flips instead.Every market is different, every borrower is different, every property is different, it would be ill-advised to recommend anything without recognizing the individual's nuanced goals and objectives with their next acquisition.

Our other rentals in completely different areas, we have a duplex in Penfield (east side suburb, our primary residence) and a duplex in the south wedge.

However, a huge portion of the extra monthly payments would be offset by new rental income from my current primary residence.

Naturally my DTI is high, however my only debt is our primary residence mortgage I have had since 2020.

Living in one unit and renting out the other helps you scale quickly because you need a lower down payment for a primary residence. 

Pay attention to whether the room is a primary suite (your own bathroom) or shared bathroom, how many roommates, etc. as those would factor in to how much someone would be willing to pay.

A house hack for a primary residence for about two years and then you could repeat this again. 

Me and my wife currently have a primary residence (Single Family) in AZ that we acquired with a V.A loan. 

If married you can exclude $250,000 each in capital gains if your primary residence.  

My primary residence is in a trust.