My husband and I just moved into our new primary residence about 40 min outside Savannah, GA.

I'm very new to investing and weighing which options would benefit me the most.Option 1:  Use the cash as down payment on another primary residence and rent out the current.

But it goes to show everyone reading this that marketed projected returns are often the primary metric many investors look at.  

Bathrooms: Especially the primary bathroom!

For any value add project, the primary evaluation is based on the numbers.Provided you have trustworthy teammates for the renovation side and a competent agent on the valuation side, you'll perform no matter the location.It seems your weighing factors that relate more towards long-term investing and where your asset will appreciate the most.In respect to emerging markets, you'll want to use characteristics like population growth, employment growth, safety trends and path of progress.

I've got about $525K in equity in the property, but lenders have told me that I cannot get a HELOC to access that equity for additional purchases because the duplex was financed as an investment - they have said TX law dictates that HELOC can only be used on primary residences.

If not, do you own the primary home you're living in now? 

I’m starting off wanting to get into a primary residence that I plan to house hack and then figure out the next move into investment properties but that’s down the roadwith all that said, are there other ways that im not thinking of to 1.

there's a tremendous demand for inventory - both primary residences and rentals - and so buyers are willing to accept lower yield than a lot of us think makes sense. 

Even with owner financing, his primary concern should be receiving payments.