I prefer buildings with units at or above 800 sq/ft, and a minimum of 2/1, ideally 3/1 or 3/2.

This may or may not be feasible given your personal preference/spouse/children, etc.

There are many reasons people prefer to rent or rent instead of buying: they don't have money for a down payment, they have poor credit or they only plan on staying in the area for a few years.  

I do think there is a small market of people who prefer to be more rural but you might not want that to start there if you are looking for your first investment. 

Sometimes we make choices because of preferences and not the raw numbers, and that's totally fine!

Combine a HML with unsecured lines of credit, preferably in the business. 

Do you have a preference?

Radio silence from the selling bank for over 2 weeks.

Daily budget is personal preference based on your marketing budget, so I hesitate to offer guidance without knowing your business.

Preferable closer to mass but owner occupancy for a year anyway, and want to move to a good market somewhere in New England for a few years to get started with investing.