and that was owner occ.. todays rates are pretty normal actually. what you can do if you want though is find a really good HML and let them place a loan for you making 10 to 12% while your wait for things to change to a situation that you feel you want to move forward be more net return than buying a rental thats for sure. of course no tax bene's but there really is not that much tax benefit on one rental.. so just some alternatives. 

How long do you think that will take?

Good luck!

At some point I'd like to begin a long career in REI and would like to have met some people already that can share in that endeavor.Looking forward to meeting everyone!

And thats not including how long it takes.

If you do, you should expect a very aggressive challenge by the IRS.At $350K of combined value it might be worth the cost to get a segregation study if you intend to keep these a long time.

I've just heard that from many people over the years.In general, SC is experiencing an economic renaissance, so it is a good time to invest here. 

From my experience working with over 400 investors, I’d recommend starting with house hacking—ideally a fourplex if you find a good deal, but a duplex works too.

That is because they are looking at the long term view. 

Some areas on Long Island tend to appreciate even more.