New (soon-to-be) Investor in Raleigh, NC

[Keith N.]

Hello BP Community,

Longtime triangle area resident here who is planning on purchasing his first property very soon.  I am plan to purchase either a single-family or multi-unit home (although multi-units seem to be scarce in Raleigh).  I will owner occupy this house for about a year, until I've saved enough to purchase another property, at which time I will turn the original into a cash flowing rental unit.  My budget is ~ 100K for a single-family and ~ 160K for a multi-family (assuming I can expect to have tenants in place in the additional units to cover the mortgage).

Basically, I have been reading up on investing in real estate as a form of passive income, and I have become hooked to the idea!  If anyone has any useful tips specifically for investing in Raleigh and surrounding areas, please shoot them at me!  Specifically, I am interested in getting opinions on agents who may be best suited to work with someone in my position.

Thanks in Advance!

- Keith