It sounds like you’ve got a solid foundation and a smart game plan, especially with the house hacking strategy.

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

Thats a solid deal!

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

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.

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

Hi Simon,Scaling from single-family to multifamily is a solid move, and a 10-15 unit building is a great next step.

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! 

This is solid insight as well @Kyle Barnhart. 

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.