If spread out across the USA it is not as much of a big deal… we are already bidding against hedge funds to get good deals in my po-dunk market… Among the targets is neighboring cities to destination locations(basically Round Rock to Austin, West Palm Beach to Miami, Franklin to Nashville).Also, cities that have international airports in business friendly tax states for possible and assumed industry placement.

The targeted area includes mostly undeveloped or under-developed land around our local small airport as well as some more retail/commercial/office areas in a nearby more densely developed commercial district that is a mix of run-down industrial-ish buildings (building materials, feed store, Goodwill), banks/groceries/fast food, services (dental, tax, etc), small older strip malls, a few empty/torn down lots, and some new and nicer retail and low rise office buildings, including a brand new grocery being built on a recently relocated Ford dealership site, etc.

I tend to favor buying both stuff in the surrounding counties for cash flow/equity on day 1 and closer to the city for little less cash flow on day 1 but have that upside for future rent/home price growth that being near the city brings.As far as rent demand as long as you are somewhat close to the 3 major job centers here (City, Robinson/Airport/Cranberry) I've never had issues getting stuff rented.  

(Decided to leave on the 20th,  25th was the first flight we could get,  and we had to go 120 miles by train to get to that airport.)  

I've been looking to get a first primary residence near DC to stay close to family on the Eastern Shore and own my first place + have a good investment (I just want to wake up in a house and know it is mine...like that feeling of being an owner & knowing tenants are helping pay down the investment).I want to live in one unit and rent the other units out (to cover the payment), though I could cover the payment at any time for a couple of years.I've heard good things about Herndon (I saw it is close to Dulles Airport which is good since that isn't going to go away), but those prices are a bit expensive and worry me especially with everyone synonymously agreeing that real estate prices are at all-time highs and inventory at all-time lows.

And as a consequence of COVID-19 many other industries such as supermarkets, shopping centers, restaurants, airlines, hotels, airports are suspending their workers and / or cutting working hours.

It's convenient to down-town ~10-15 minutes to Zilker Park and in the other direction conveniently located ~10-15 min to the airport. 

Do you need to be a certain amount of time from the airport or are you completely open? 

I am thinking you should look at commercial buildings, eg airports, libraries, and get ideas on what is indestructible.

@Luke Carl I need to be close prox to an airport which is why I want to stay around the city for when I need to hop back to NY @Kyle Nolen thanks!