Depending on your budget, I'd recommend areas like Olde Towne East, Clintonville, Merion Village, Grandview, Southern Orchards and a few others. 

I am a first-time investor, I'm looking to buy a duplex in a smaller town in Utah, the town's population is around 8.2k.

This is a 3 story town home (detached) that shares a private sewage line with 7 other homes.

The only taxes I remit directly now are the tiny town tax they implemented of 1%.I just take my net income spreadsheet and calculate the 1% and give them a check.

If the fire can be knocked down in its infancy you can save entire towns. 

My fiancée and I are getting married in November and will be moving into a different rental in another part of town shortly after.

Mine was also out of state, in a town I’d never visited, and I relied heavily on videos from my agent.This sounds like a tough first deal, but it seems like you have some capital on the side, which will be useful as you face the upcoming challenges and learn from those expensive early mistakes.Regarding the subject of this post, “help me adjust my expectations,” I’d recommend assuming that; repairs will cost twice as much as you estimate, maintenance and vacancy rates will likely double from your initial projections, there’s a very real chance you may lose money on this deal.That said, there are ways to mitigate these risks by:- Keep asking questions here on BP and connecting with local experts- Stay proactive and communicative with your agent and property manager.And remember “Inspect what you expect.”Im not trying to discourage you but to help reset your expectations.

It's in on a Main St in an small town in NJ.

It’s on the rise but you just have to be selective regarding location and try to go for turnkey or keep it minimal regarding rehab  So you don’t have a nightmare story trying to manage a rehab from Out of Town. 

We have been working in the affordable housing space for some time, and this allowed us to partner with the local community and provide a housing solution they need as their city continues to expand with new jobs they are successfully bringing to town.