@Jill Buhrfiend reagarding what @Frank Wong said, I wasn't gong to mention it because I assume it is in style where you are.

Well, the cabin decor is not my style at all.

I'm wondering if anyone has sacrificed by moving out of a high cost of living area to a more affordable market to help boost their investing? 

Wanting to have a business of our own and also to have cash flow to supplement our income and life style.

I don;t know your life style but once I carefully reviewed my wants vs needs my finance started to head in the right direction. 

I make it a point to wake up at 4am every day to give myself a solid 1-2 hours before anybody else is up to pursue these things without sacrificing time with my family. 

Usually you have the home style loans for a conventional lender, they take time to close though rates might be 5.5Then you have portfolio lenders usually local bank who can fund repairs and purchase.

Thinking of keeping it loft-style, big open spaces except for bedrooms and baths, trendy but low-cost finishes, hopefully 2 beds/1 bath per unit. 

as I belive some people are trying to avoid the hassle of furnituring style and overall cost but not sure if they are the majority in the market or not.

Multifamily falls out of style - Cap Rates inflate.Yes, there are baseline economic relationships, but there is a psychological component.