Then he narrows down to towns that have steady employment, good cap rates, and a shortage of rentals.

I’ll continue to explore a couple other options in the meantime. 

I actually got across this thread while Googling data on rent-to-price ratios for a friend who was exploring Lakeland.

Looking ahead, once you secure a tenant, perhaps this is something that should be explored to make the next lease up easier.Also, @Caria Mitchell raised an interesting point in saying: We are experiencing a shortage of qualified applicants, I’ve noticed non-conventional applicants vs qualified applicants that don’t have a voucher or some form of subsidy. 

If you've already reached that end - ie if $4 million is enough principal to create residual income that you won't outlive - then I don't see any good reason to be buying out-of-town properties that then have to be managed properly to preserve your investment. 

The house has 5 units; however, it is only zoned by the town as a 4-family.

We spent weeks in different towns to be with her while she was having, and recovering from surgery.

Visit, explore these place and then narrow it down.

And you are continuing to invest in real estate a 1031 is a good option to explore. 

People who live in an area their whole lives (most people), have a certain set idea in their head about the character of different towns and different neighborhoods.