I assume a higher upfront cost as far as land purchase and the actual build but you would have a brand new house, instant equity and hopefully maintenance free for quite a while.

You have to find a zip code that has a prevalence of multifamily and a pathway to build multifamily.

@Chris Babb,I have moved in to the Build to Rent field full time. 

It is easier to parse it out, but still, not as valuable as I would like.

Quote from @Matt McNabb: I'm a solid $400k/yr job in NYC and have $250k to begin investing as my first step into building a portfolio, although I don't have time to be a landlord so I have to account for management fees.  

Commercial Revenue Generating properties like office buildings, apartment buildings, retail centers, etc (banks call it "CRE" lending) are typically evaluated from their net operating income, not gross.

Most property management companies are licensed realtors with extensive experience working with investors and providing valuable insights into their local market.

Im currently networking to partner up with a home builder here in Staten Island and build Semis on empty land.

You could build or flip less expensive units and sell them to your clients/occupants over time.

I'm in Columbus Ohio and we ahve to build the same floorplan over and over and it's a group heard mentality. we build a three story walk up triplex designed for our infill lots