Depending on your preference, either one will get you the same result.

I came across realinvestorwebsite.com which provides you with a real estate investor website for alot less than Carrot (which i would prefer), their prices are only $1 for the first month and $27 each addl month..anyone try them?

Actually, I prefer Pearland/Friendswood/Pearland/League City but heard there are not that much 2-4 unit properties in those areas.

Which one do you prefer and why??

I focus on PM all the time....greatly prefer it. 

@Alex Howard It is a matter of personal preference and risk tolerance but I think that I would open an account with etrade or something and take the money I would contribute to a 401k and put it into index funds.

Same with a HELOC.I prefer to work with smaller banks personally but the main strategy I want to emphasize is that you need a plan to pay that HELOC back. 

At the very least we will be buying a single family, but our preference would be a duplex that we can house hack.

Either way I'd prefer to be in something that cash flows.

But to answer your question I'll do any of them but prefer them closer to 1.