Local or Distant? and Investing in Condo's

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Hi investors! 

My mom and I are looking to buy our first property and we're wondering, should we start out local, and how good an investment are condos? 

We live in Maryland, near Washington DC and we've got about 100K for our first investment. I've heard that some markets are better than others for investing, but on the other hand we wonder if it would be better to start near where we live so we're familiar and available. We're also deciding between renting single family homes and renting out condos. 

What would you guys do? Any advice?