The goal is to build confidence, learn, and set a solid foundation for scaling later.

Most on-market deals will likely not fit your investment criteria unless you allocate a substantial downpayment, often at least 30%-35%, or negotiate a price reduction that fits your requirements.Furthermore, while this is not the case for all metro ATL markets, my team and I typically see that a solid portion of the small multifamily space is comprised/orientated in neighborhoods of other small multifamily properties.

And while like Clay said, there aren't any large employment centers like a metro, you do have a solid job market. 

Outside of aesthetics, make sure you have cleaners, maintenance and turnaround worked out so you go in with a solid plan.

say you find a solid property in a low cost market for $200K and you buy it.between down payment, closing costs, rent ready / spruce up costs, and lease-up costs, you're probably going to need at least 50-65K in cash. 

My advice: don’t overthink it—your first house hack is about learning, so pick a strong rental market, ensure solid demand, and lock in a deal that gets you close to break-even or better.

This is solid insight as well @Kyle Barnhart. 

Forgot to mention:knowing the rental laws and having a solid lease is a must--a level 10.I love @Drew Sygit post and list! 

As far as building homes goes that is something I would like to get into down the line l, I’ve been doing construction as long as I’ve been working I would just think I would have to build a solid portfolio before even getting into that.

It sounds like you’ve got a solid strategy and a clear focus on building your portfolio with multiunit properties, house hacking, and BRRRR.