Lease Options: This is better than a typical lease because there is an expectation that they will buy and in many cases, you can make the tenant responsible for some of the maintenance and also you get some option money.3.

@Sean LemonYou are 1000x better off investing passively then paying a huge fee for someone to find you deals.

Starting with an Out Of State MTR / LTR strategy is smart, especially targeting travel nurses or university students.Focus on areas in Texas or Indiana with strong job markets and growing populations for better rental demand and investment potential.

Both conversations are going to provide you with a better understanding of the need and requirements prior to getting too far down the road with negotiating a purchase agreement with a property owner. 

What would be better?  

The longer that you hold onto these in our area, the better chance that the city/state is going to pass another anti landlord law.The longer that you hold onto these, the longer that you're not able to get into those index funds or other stocks.

It may be a better option to find ways to house hack if you do not have enough down payment.

Hey Drew, in my experience with fourplexes and small apartments (30 units or less) here in the College Station, TX area it's better to provide washer and dryer hookups in the unit and charge more for rent.

I agree I need to start analyzing deals to get a better understanding.

Better cash flowing choices may not be preferred living for a year or two and a higher quality building might be to expensive, and you are now covering part of your mortgage.