As big as the city is there are a lot i assume.

Unless your goal is to teach, being educated without taking action is not going to get you very far.Champaign is a city with great investing dynamics - the best thing to do is get started.Is there anything stopping you from going out and buying a property?

Major employers are the base, federal agencies such as border patrol/homeland security, school district, city, and the hospital.

My name is Jay and I am currently finishing up my undergrad career in New York City at CUNY Queens College.

I am 23 living in kansas city and i currently own a full duplex and live in one side and rent the other I’m trying to find another duplex to rent.

Check out Indianapolis, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and my backyard  - Chicago.

House hacking, in a B-/C+ area that still has access to easy public transit into the city.

Something to keep in mind with STR, that's tied to why REI is a smart game to play - control is the name of the game.You want to control the guests and rates (vet them in hopes of avoiding property damage, set rates to attract those willing to pay more for quality)You want to control the costs (furnishings, consumables, cleaning/repair/plumbing/electrical)You want to control the property (choice of property, location, financing terms, well or city water, septic or city sewer, etc)This is all going to be very hard to do, if not impossible, if you don't OWN THE PROPERTY. 

I'm trying to be as familiar with my target city as I am with the city I live in and I'm finding it to be a little difficult as I'm on the other side of the country in NYC. 

My markets of focus are Huntsville, Birmingham and submarkets of those two cities.