However, to get there, you have to start small - and that puts you into the interest category of 5+ units.....along with all the guru disciples. 2) Anything between 5+ units and on site managed MF's is mostly junk. 

Friends...can you please suggest which will be best bet Condo/Patio/SFH for rental ? 

I was planning to use the verious apartments hunting sites as well as craigslist.

I think house hacking first is your best bet.

But with this kind of negative cash flow, you are betting that appreciation is growing more rapidly than the interest you're paying--just to beat putting $900/mo in a savings account.On top of that, you're still in the window where you call sell this tax free using the primary residence exemption.Using the $80K on a $350-400K multi or two $200K homes on a 30 year fixed will provide the same appreciation while having someone but you pay off the mortgage.

I am currently using Redfin and realtor.com as my main resource but am struggling, mainly because I don’t see any comps on those sites.

@Daniel Pichardo Unfortunately, no I have never heard anyone using those sites.  

I started listening to real estate and financial podcasts about 2 years ago which led me to the BP podcast and then to this site.  

Your best bet might be calling around to some local banks (portfolio lenders have flexible underwriting) and seeing what they will require to get a commercial loan on multi family properties. 

Welcome,  you are in good hands here on BP its a great site with tons of info