Small multifamily rental in San Antonio or house hack in Austin?

[Conner O'Brien]

I'm new to investing and I'm looking to make a move on my first investment property in the next 5-6 months. I'm currently renting in Austin.

What I'm looking at is either a multifamily in San Antonio around $200k - $250k with a conventional loan or a house hack in Austin around $500k with an FHA loan.

So a few questions id like to get everyone's thoughts on..

1. What is the better starter investment so I continue to grow my portfolio? It looks like San Antonio will cash flow more but Austin will appreciate more.  

2. Is it safer to have a smaller loan if there actually is a correction in market? Or better to have less of my own money in the investment but have a larger loan?

Either way I'd have a good amount of money saved as a cushion so maybe that last part doesn't really matter.

Appreciate any feedback!