Good House hack / duplex / triplex areas?

[Christopher Forero]

Hello,

My girlfriend Jess and I both work for the airlines and are interested in an investment property to offset living expenses and eventually have a good COC return once we move out to grow our investment portfolio further. She already has a property in South FL while I've managed a 1 bed 1 bath apt in NJ. Been watching/reading BP and others the past 2 months to gain knowledge and skills.

I am a first time home buyer and looking to take advantage of 3.5% down on a good House-hack, Duplex or Triplex in the <270k range. Have the ability to DIY most remodeling projects, but also know when to call a pro. Distressed properties are good, not looking for a 6 month gut & reno (Taxes here are way too high for that time line haha).

I have been exploring zillow and realtor.com analyzing deals and walked by a couple of properties to check them out. Any specific areas to focus on for these types of deals?

Look forward to working and networking with many of you.
Thanks,
Chris