She'll ask you to share your short- AND long-term goals, and once you have, she'll help structure a plan for you that will achieve those short-term goals in a way that should produce proceeds that will enable you to pursue your long-term goals.  

Currently I am personally looking to get some residential properties to accumulate a small-medium portfolio to both fix & rent (producing cashflow) and fix and sell.  

Long term, I would like to build a healthy portfolio that will keep me busy and hopefully allow me some freedom. 

use it as a down payment for a more expensive income producing property?  

That property is still producing a 20-30% CAP.

Apartments do offer economies of scale, but you have to understand that the apt. market is red hot, w/ compressed cap rates, and generally don't produce as high cash flow return %'s on an as-bought basis as 1-4 unit properties.  

Easy market in small town; scarce rental opportunities available with a healthy demand. 

I don't really look at which one is the "most profitable" in and of itself but rather which produces the most passive income with the least amount of liability and daily involvement.The lending business is great because I do not use any of my own funds, I am in the safest part of the equity stack, the investor takes all the risk with the rehab, and does all the work. 

They have not produced any financials and the realtor is not sure they will.  

I am now mentoring and coaching new agents and am one of the top producers in my market center.