I would focus on Huntsville and outskirts, toney meridianville, madison, limestone county, harvest, hazel green , gurley and hampton cove. 

I've been afraid of Madison.

I live in Madison County, IL which is where the majority of frivilous lawsuits are filed due to liberal citizens.

I would like to make our first purchase by March 2017 and hopefully grow exponentially from there.I am not sure how the market is in our area just yet, but we prefer to stay within a 2-hour drive from Madison, AL for the first couple of deals.Any advice and all knowledge is welcome.Happy hunting!

I don't share the same reservations others do presently, because reasonable deals in Huntsville/Madison have become unicorns. 

The year I spent in Jackson / Madison  I was shocked when my local bar tender told me what they make and that area is NOT known for tipping..

It's not just the distance but also 3 hours time difference.Still, nice to know how that can workI bought 12 new construction in the Jackson MS metro area  ( Madison and Rankin counties) Post Katrina for the GOZONE tax bene's now to be fair you had to be a real estate professional full time to take those tax bene's and it had to be new construction.. 

But check Madison(Wisconsin), NoCal, Northern Nevada, parts of Michigan like Grand Rapids.

You'll have more control, more market knowledge, better contacts, and more confidence in your investments if it is local or within a couple hours driving distance.If you're looking for a cheaper market, consider Milwaukee, Indianapolis, or maybe a smaller market like Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington-Normal, Quad Cities, Madison, South Bend, Fort Wayne, etc. that is a closer drive.

Shannon,I would suggest taking a look at these State/Cities - Carmel, IN, Tampa/Orlando, Fl, Knoxville, TN Madison, OH.