Buying over an hour away?

[Michael Jurewicz]

Hello all! I am new here, so please, let me know if I can be directed to a similar previous post. Also, if that is the case, I'd love to know how I can better my search to find what I am looking for in the future.

I currently live pretty close to my workplace and plan on staying at my job for as far into the future as I can tell. I'm really enjoying my work (and have for the last 5 years) and am getting compensated well with a likely possibility of growth soon. 

 I am looking to buy a property soon and I have two ideas:

1. Buy a multi-family in my current town that I can live in and rent out or stay at my current rental (which I love) and be able to manage the property with tenants. 

2. Buy a multi-family or single house that I can use as a rental and/or an Airbnb in an area which I'd like to live at one day but absolutely love. What attracts me about this particular area is that the housing is much cheaper than where I currently rent and is only about an hour away. I am also attracted at the possibility of renting out part of the land to campers and building a tiny home either for myself to stay in sometimes or to rent out aside from the main house.

I have some time to make my decision obviously, but I'm just trying to do as much research as possible beforehand.

 Thanks for your time!