I have talked to a couple but would like to hear what you have to say! 

Go a couple times and look for repeat buyers.

Below are some quick tips about cash out refi vs HELOC/LOCCash out Pros-tax free money-low interest rate-fixed monthly payments unless you choose a variable productCash out Cons-closing costs (couple thousand)HELOC/LOC Pros-tax free -its a line of credit, hence you can use pay back then use again-usually NO closing costs on residential Helocs; there will be closing costs on commericial LOCs-commericial LOC is very fast moving as far as getting funding and refinancing  (Makes it easy to rinse and repeat)HELOC/LOC Cons-higher interest rate-variable rates-monthly payments depend on amount borrowedHope this helps,CB

I've spent the past couple months educating myself by reading books and listening to most of the podcasts on this forum but feel that having some guidance on making the first purchase would be beneficial.If anyone has any recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it. 

There are also a couple more near by from what I can see in aerial map views.   

Asheville is another story as Robert pointed out.There are more and more year round residents in Wolf Laurel in the last couple years so it is possible to get permanent renters there.  

Or get the property in my hands, do a few more deals, maybe flips to get some more liquid cash, or connect with a private investor or a builder/experienced investor who knows the ins and outs to do the construction on 2 potential luxury single family homes (comps in the area are between 400-700K) or 4 townhomes (comps around 325-450k in the area)), and actually build on the land.

Or get the property in my hands, do a few more deals, maybe flips to get some more liquid cash, or connect with a private investor or a builder/experienced investor who knows the ins and outs to do the construction on 2 potential luxury single family homes (comps in the area are between 400-700K) or 4 townhomes (comps around 325-450k in the area)), and actually build on the land.

I had tried to start out on my own earlier this year, but lost money in a couple of deals due to lack of information and understanding of the market. 

We are moving to the Myrtle Beach area and could be more hands on there.