(Larger house, private beach, family friendly) or diversify in “type” and maybe do the opposite....maybe aim for the couple travelers instead and get a smaller place in a hyper convenient location (right by downtown, restaurants, etc)Any thoughts appreciated!

I plan to call the courthouse tomorrow, but I don't feel confident that I will be able to change anything.  

All the support is making me feel so much more confident on this deal.  

If you were buying apartment buildings 30 years ago, I can confidently say your money would have been better placed elsewhere, in markets with growing jobs.I prefer to learn from examples I can see, and I've certainly seen the impact of job losses, stagnant or falling median incomes, and net out-migration.

I already have the motivation, this would give me confidence.

im not an expert but i have looked into this before. while the requirements arent super clear, seems there is something about you must "sleep there" for so many days a year, i want to say like 10 or 11 months. that being said, if you make it your legal residence, to include mailing address, etc, and dont rent it out long term, i dont think you would have any issue. its not different than buying a personal residence then traveling for work 200 days a year (which i did). 

I’m traveling there in Late November and would like to start interviewing.

All the what-ifs, and hidden costs that might break me.I'm narrowing in on a live-in/ house-hack in a duplex with an existing two car garage, with the intention to immediately convert that into an ADU for myself, until I soon thereafter refi. and start the process over.Maybe on the next one I can have the confidence to go with hard/ private money cash buy/ rehab. 

Our business plan is to focus on on our current markets of course, but since we have the system and love to travel to different parts of the country throughout the year, I'm interested in what locations or hidden gem areas I could be looking into. 

If you know and are really confident in SFRs verse Multifamily go that route for the first one hit some bumps to iron out the challenges you'll have in being a landlord then move into multifamily.