I live near Boone too. I have no experience, but if you are looking for rentals within an hour or so of Boone there are a number of other towns to consider.
Hickory, Morganton, & Statesville all have decent sized populations. Since you mentioned Hwy 421, you might consider Wilkesboro too. Hwy 321 between Lenoir & Hickory is a very busy area.
I'm just thinking the more areas that you consider the more likely you are to find profitable opportunities. Smaller towns also seem to have more affordable property.
I'm new, like you, and wouldn't feel comfortable buying property too far from home.
I agree that Boone is an expensive area, but there are a lot of realtors & property management companies here. I have a couple of buddies with rental experience that I'm planning to approach as mentors. I spoke to one last week that said "right now is a very good time to buy property if you have the funds available". Maybe you can find a local mentor too.
I also asked him about buying raw land, and he warned me that from a cash flow aspect rentals are a much safer investment.
I'm glad I discovered BiggerPockets. There's a wealth of info & experienced folks here to help.
Good luck,