I am a 17 year old named Keaton and I have been learning about the real estate world for almost a year now, and I am nearing the stages of buying my first multifamily home.

While I'm sure this isn't so important to you at this early stage in your career but it's certainly nice to have in building a passive revenue stream and as well as accumulate a sizable stock account just from selling real estate.   

However, if you look for a place that you can use for yourself and you're happy to rent wen you don't use it and cover your costs, and without the expectation of a large capital gain, it might be the right place.If @Austin B. concluded that investing in Mexico is a bit "wild" for him at this stage, investing in Costa Rica or Nicaragua is even wilder, especially Nicaragua.

., 37 acre mixed use development; $129 million dollar event center; $76.5 million dollar lane widening are all currently under construction in this rural area as well as a 4700 acre master planned community in the planning stages). 

Your cash on cash % will be higher using leverageYou will have higher peace of mind not being beholden to a lenderUltimately it depends on your overall financial goal - higher growth or super safe returnTrue financial freedom usually includes paying down debt, just depends on when you are at that stage

We are in the planning stages and trying to work the kinks out. 

They've usually self-managed forever and really had a dislike for realtors and the hassles / delays of random agents and buyers trampling through, making all the little repairs and staging, after inspection BS and waiting 45 days for a loan to close. 

I agree with this being a deal and an opportunity but I am new into the investing/ multi-family world; this would be my second one and I really don't like the idea of hemorrhaging money due to a tenant getting upset for me not renewing their lease after them being there for 20+ years and not paying and going through a lengthy eviction process here in NY... the risk might be too much for me to take on at this stage in my career.   

They are in that stage where one or two people are really running the game.

However, the inside is more complicated because I don't want new flooring or paint to get ruined during other stages of the rehab.