Just like getting a degree from college, you expect that the money you spend will come back in multiples down the road.

You want control, syndicate your own MF apartment and if value add (you will be able to a large degree have the ball in your court on increasing the NOI and increasing the value based on the increased income) if you chosen wisely. 

On the other, I really don't want to put myself in a situation where I have 5 or more properties and everyone stops paying rent at once, and I'm unable to sell because the market has crashed.I guess I just need to run some numbers and determine some worst-case scenario situations and to what degree I'd be able to ride them out given my current hypothetical financial status.

Depending on your current family situations and your local market:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I’m going suggest 180 degree reversePurchase rental property to live in since you already been sharing common space.Duplex, tri-plex, 4 family multiple unit with the knowledge of eventually move out within 2 to 3 yearsYou never know: 1 to 2 self direct investments instead of paying your existing landlord might pay for at                                least half of your future personal sfr. ( cashflow wise )

law degree (lol).

I am in the technical field and I always am stressing about not getting the funds to start investing due to not having a degree.

As for expenses that we don't have to deal with up here in the great white north (he says as it's 70+ degrees in mid October still), when I lived in the D.C. area termite control was a must.

Currently I'm 22, living with my father and am paying for a useless degree (Theatre, 32k debt ~4.5%).

I've Now I'm reading "RIch dad poor dad" by Robert Kiyosaki.I've been "an educated poor dad" of three kids, but my mindset has been 180 degree turned around after reading these books.

If I have a 30year note, and my properties cash flow, or at least break even, a short term drop in real estate prices have little impact on me, because I have a high degree of confidence that home prices will be much higher 20 years from now than they are now.Maybe we are near the end of the super great times.