Invest 80k one nice/pricy place or multiple cheaper ones?

[Bill Frog]

I've got 80+K available, with spare kept for unexpected vacancies/etc. My bay area market is too expensive for me to invest in/househack, so I'm free to look elsewhere. Reno/Columbus/San Antonio/Sacramento/Boise have caught my eye due to growth in population/jobs/housing value. It's my first exploration into real estate, so I'm sure I'm going to learn things. Looking for cash flow, initially to put back into future real estate investments, in 5/10 years to reduce my work hours. 

Would you put your eggs into a nicer house, nicer neighborhood, more likely to appreciate (Boise/Reno)? Or a few places in less desireable/slower to grow parts of town?