The first thing I'd recommend is focus on a market where you either 1) currently or have previously lived, 2) have family/friends that live there, or 3) vacation there frequently.

If family lives in the main home and friends stay for free in the garage, the property remains a primary residence, but there’s no rental income or tax benefits.

Could be longer too if it is close to where I live, so I can visit it every weekend.

I would tell folks at the time with 30k brand new homes that Lehigh was probably one of the cheapest places in US if not the world to live everything considered US medical and fire and police etc etc and no state income tax.So here we are today de ja vu all over again with hundreds of investors stuck with half built houses and a the vast majority of all these were spec for rental purposes not to live in..

You'll usually have to pay something for PM if you don't live in the area, but still way cheaper. 

Do you plan to live off the land in a tent? 

You want to appeal to the most people and many buyers will want to live in the home, so having tenants will limit who it appeals to.

We did the BRRR method and house hacked. we lived in one unit and rented out the other.

Acquiring nicer assets not only provides a better living environment for tenants but also contributes to long-term appreciation and value.

I live upstate but work in NYC.