Investing in residential real estate boils down to two main avenues: single-family (1-4 units) and multi-family (5+ units), and understanding their fundamental differences is key to smart investing. While single-family properties are valued on comparable sales and offer "accidental landlord" opportunities due to less experienced owners, multi-family assets are valued by their income (cap rate), giving investors more direct control over appreciation through strategic improvements and expense management. Multi-family also provides the advantage of diversified income streams (less impact from a single vacancy), significantly lower per-unit transaction costs, more favorable financing terms, and substantial tax benefits like accelerated depreciation through cost segregation studies, making it a compelling option for those seeking scale and enhanced financial efficiency.