SFH house hacking in Maryland

[David Bowen]

Hey BP community. I'm a newbie investor from Columbia looking to make my first primary home purchase and turn it into a house hack with my fiancé. I know multifamily is hard to come by in the area so I figured our best bet is to look for a single family home with a finished walkout basement and rent it out as a separate unit. Then down the road, move out and rent both. 

My fiancé works in Columbia so we would like to be within 30-40 mins from here max. I have good relationship with a contractor who works out of Frederick. I love this area and also love the idea of eventually working with him to flip/brrrr out that way. Therefore, I'd love to find something that would make sense in Howard, Carroll, or Frederick County where I wouldn't be too far away (perhaps near fort Dietrich or fort hood as they might be areas that draw good tenants?).

Being a BP newbie, I guess I'm looking for someone familiar with the region to offer advice on what factors to consider when looking for a house hack in these areas. Also, not sure if I should be aware of any specific local tenant or zoning laws in these counties that would potentially hinder my goals. Thanks in advance!