Both look good for investments in multi-family homes. 

Check out Ohio people from all over the world are investing here.

As for renting, going cash flow negative isn't great, and your home isn't likely to appreciate as fast as it would if it was a single family home, so holding with hopes of increasing appreciation may be a verrrry slow play, but if you can afford to hold, having a tenant pay down your mortgage is an additional great benefit to real estate investing. 

However, for a rental property we may feel differently as it is an investment and not the roof over our head.

I do believe real estate is one of the safest investments when managed with care. 

Written by attorney investors, it's full of practical advice about the management of investment property, has sample forms that can be edited, and - most importantly - tells you what your primary state laws are and where you can read them.

I invest with my SDIRA and while it's a bit more hoops you jump through (you have to be arms length away from the transactions, can't use "disqualified" parties etc.) it's worthwhile if you're going to put it into real estate.

@Terra Padgett are you plugged into any of the real estate investing groups in Jacksonville? 

The effective rate is ALWAYS the same interest rate and hence your return on invested capital is exactly the same on the first day of the note as the final day of the note and every day in between.  

I have two local contacts that can do 100% LTV on a primary home and another contact that can do a HELOC for an investment property.If interested in either or, send me a DM - happy to discuss both options and share my contacts with you so you can determine what's best for you.