My ultimate goal is to live in it until I can buy a second property and then backfill my first property with a tenant.

I'm not bullish where I live, Portland, OR (high prop taxes, tougher landlord laws, affordability, etc.). 

With the prevalence of remote work policies, many people opted to leave affordable apartments living near work in and around metros to live an hour or two outside of their work location to get much more space for their money.

While we currently live in Stephens City, VA, we’re open to investing in other states where the numbers make sense.Real Estate Goals & StrategyInvestment Focus: Buy-and-hold rentals, short-term rentals, and potential multifamily propertiesMarkets of Interest: Open to investing outside of Virginia in cash-flowing, landlord-friendly marketsCurrent Stage: Learning, networking, and preparing for our first investment propertyLong-Term Vision: Build a diversified rental portfolio that provides financial freedom and generational wealthWhy I’m HereNetworking: Connecting with experienced investors, agents, lenders, and property managersLearning: Gaining insights from those who’ve built successful portfoliosCollaborating: Open to partnerships, joint ventures, and creative financing strategiesWith my sales background, I understand the importance of negotiation, deal-making, and relationship-building—all of which I plan to leverage in real estate.

As for the areas to target, my goal in getting our feet wet as real estate investors--and since we plan to be living in Sac--is to find a property we can live in while renting out one or more units to help cover our housing expenses, which we can then hold and continue to rent out when we move.

We would be incurring the tenants in one half and would live in the other half ourselves.

Our out of state investors first came directly from our circles of influence in Denver where I lived and Florida where my older brother lived.  

My plan is to live there for a year then move out and rent the 4th one.  

He lives across the street from 2 of my properties in FL.

You are young and presumably single, so living in a master suite while renting out some other rooms is easy.