We have an aging population. 1 in 3 Americans are above the age of 50.

I have been saving up, and with a good job, I was able to put over 20% down on a property valued at over $ 200,000 at the age of 22.

It's that we don't have as much refinement and mining of them in the United States, but they exist here in large quantities, an important distinction.

@Garret Rumbea Larger multifamily syndication is an overly broad label and using it without distinction leads to misleading comparisons.

If your sisters were truly co-owners for years, their portion’s gain/loss will likely be different from yours — but if their names were only added for estate planning and your parents still retained beneficial ownership, all of you might qualify for the step-up.Long story short: the IRS cares about ownership intent, not just whose name was on the paper — and that distinction can make a big difference here.

My kids are not working age yet so I can’t make them W-2 employees.

However, one key distinction is you have to separate building from land so the portion that is land is not depreciable. 

At your age, if you can max out an IRA every year (7k max unless the amount you earned that year is smaller), that would be a great place to start.

If you can carry yourself as an adult, your age wont be an issue. 

The biggest distinctions are the presence of a prepayment penalty, and the fact that they're underwritten based on the property cash-flows rather than your individual income, assets, and employment.