@John Smithe - This is going to come down to the following:1) Your personal investment philosophy: your goals, your interests, your time horizon, your risk tolerance, and your interpretation of world events 2) Your unfair advantage: your skills, your expertise, your network, your resourcesBiggerPockets tends to bring together like minds and similar experience, so this sampling bias might result in concluding that a large multifamily in the Midwest, for example, is the best use of your funds.Ask the broad universe of investors the same question, however, and your answers will be quite different.Real estate might well be your best investment, but so might be starting a business, or picking stocks, or buying precious metals.  

She is 73, has no money, I made her retire (not educated in modern world, skills aren't useful, works more detrimental than what its worth), and I essentially turned this house over to her to live her life in.

It will probably be a bit grueling but I think it will pay off the most, definitely in terms of experience (negotiating with sellers is a skill you’ll use for the rest of your life) and possibly in a deal as well.

What are some vital questions to ask cash buyers when building a relationship/ dealing with cash buyers?

If that's the case, perhaps you could look into finding an opportunity where you can be an onsite manager of a property in exchange for a discount in rent, thus earning a little extra money in the form of discounted rent and also getting to learn property management which is a very valuable skill in RE investing.

Creative and sky is the limit. from is flat piece of dirt and turn it into nice housing that people will enjoy living there is rewarding and a sense of great accomplishment. 3. skill building, it require many areas of expertise from start to finish. the amount of knowledge and skills one will learn is a lot more than just flips or buy and hold. from the understanding of zoning, city planning, drafting up plan with architect and engineer, approvals, documentations and financing. the list goes on and on. maybe this is as much as a cons than a pros depends on how one sees it. 4. development low income housing, we have a housing crisis, and developer are not focusing on people with low income, they have their eyes on where the money is. dealing with state programs can be lengthy but worth the effort in my opinion if the outcome is to build something that is profitable at the same time giving family a better home/environment so their kids can thrive.

Can totally still work though.It really all comes down to how much time, interest, and skill you have to invest. 

You are simply shifting your management responsibilities to a single issue as opposed to multiple separate properties.Being a active hands on landlord requires not only specific skill sets but more than anything else requires the desire to self manage.

My self-awareness of my actual skill level saved me from going bust.  

Wholesaling draws me because it gives me a chance, while I’m young, to put my skills and work ethic to the test and get into the real estate world.