Even something in the nearby Pennsylvania area would be good. 

Lastly on the appraiser front, is determining the property similar to others nearby.  

Lucked out and found a newer Bosch dw in stock at nearby Lowe’s and put it in the truck and hooked it up between check out and check in.

Since others nearby are doing str it is probably doable.

Reasoning for this strategy would be to utilize the 3.5% and keep other money for next move after that.Other plan Im considering is buying either a multifamily nearby using a 20% down payment, or an out of state investment property with 20% down.

We're in the Blue Ridge Mountains so people come here for the hiking, outdoor activities and cities nearby that have great breweries and food.

If you know any real estate investors nearby, ask them for a good CPA recommendation.If a CPA does their job right, they'll maximize your deductions to avoid you paying taxes.

Price hill as a really nice neighborhood called the incline district where prices and rents jump up a lot and there are nice bars and restaurants nearby and views overlooking downtown.

Does anyone from these areas have recommendations on starting my search nearby, groups to join, or brokers/agents to start with ? 

I am looking hard for a 2-4 unit property at the moment nearby in Ventura, but am pretty adamant that the units feel very much like separate homes for that very reason (e.g. separate structures, separate driveways, separate yards, etc).