Choosing a market for buy and hold multi family

[Darren Mesibov]

I am trying to isolate a market to learn, and ultimately in which to specialize.  My primary interest is buy and hold 10 - 50 unit multi family apartment complexes. I am looking for steady growth with a diverse economy, rather than a more cyclical market. My short list is Jacksonville, FL, Memphis, TN, Chattanooga,TN, or Dayton, OH.  I welcome any advice, but more specifically, I would like to hear from anyone who has had experience with this type of investing in smaller metro areas (Dayton, Chattanooga, etc.) and whether they have been limited in finding lenders who will work in smaller markets such as these. Easy travel from the S.E. is also a consideration.