Raleigh does require no more than 2 listings per house.

If you're receiving income from your W-2 employer, do these paycheck funds need to meet the 60 day seasoning or are these immediate/future paycheck fine to use?

The specific location ( 4' * 6' long) is underneath a guest bedroom window in the front of the house. 

I would learn all you can, go to meetups, build relationships, but only buy something now if you are going to house hack it for the two years until you go and then just rent out your unit when you go.

I pass by a vacant house everyday.

This is often a losing proposition for the seller, unfortunately.Granted - when a house in in disrepair and would be hard to market otherwise, it is a path forward for the seller.  

I am looking to find an apartment/house that I can self-manage around the area but I am running into the permitting issue. 

House is rented out regularly but also has a 2nd homesite that has a septic installed & perked for 2 Bed.

I don't think cap rate for residential RE is necessarily the best metric, but I try and achieve a 10% minimum gross rent to purchase price figure, so a $300K property I am hoping to achieve a $30K/month gross income goal.

@Agustin Silveyra have you looked into finding a house hacking agent yet to guide you?