I say area because my wife and I reside in Fort Mill, SC and are looking forward to getting serious about REI. 

You can use conventional financing, up to a fourplex, and if you live in one unit you may reduce some of the property tax for the space you live in as it is your primary residence and you can also buy with very little down as opposed to buying it strictly as an investment property.Duplexes are a great option and you generally also always have at least one paying tenant and can be bought similarly.

Or maybe an easier way to ask: are there states that allow non-licensed lending on owner-occupied/primary residences?

Rather than provide an example using commercial property, I’ll use the example of a property I purchased two months ago as a personal (2nd) residence, from the viewpoint of the seller.

If you buy a property as your primary residence and live in it for 2 years then rent it for up to 3 more (so you've still lived in it for 2 out of the 5 years prior to sale) you would get the entire 121 exemption tax free. 

Every day, the Chemical Plants (Dow, Shintech, etc.) and residential neighborhoods that surround the site of this location provide a high traffic count.A great opportunity exists for a tenant that is willing to market their business to travelers of Hwy. 1, the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods, and neighboring communities.How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

@Brian Scott, you have the option of using a 5% down conventional multi family loan purchase for your next primary residence on up to 4 units.

I watched my parents flip houses since I was little and have always been on job sites or made "pocket money" by doing chores like painting fences or washing kitchen cabinets, which I realize now my parents were putting us to work to build that sweat equity.

As a final step, they requested an in-person appraisal to confirm the value of my current residence.

Investment Info:Single-family residence other investment.