So, I'm going to try to make this as succinct as possible, so as to try to limit any convoluted scenarios.
First, the back story.
I'm 24, have a bachelors in MIS, pretty well proficient in Mac/PC with the basics like repair, troubleshooting, light coding, etc...Honestly my degree is pretty broad and not necessarily technical. It's more people/business oriented I would say. I graduated with a ~3.5GPA from a regional University (not name brand, but popular within the state). I did this all online over the course of the past 4 years. It took me two extra years longer than it would have because I was working.
I've worked basically for the past 6 years. I basically worked and still work at a local cell phone shop. On the side, I had several clients whom I routed audio cables for, designed home theater setups, and worked on their networks and computers. I kept it at residential house calls mainly. I also did some other technician work for another company. Anyway, those were my side hustles, combined with my day job, which allowed me to save quite a bit. So fast forward 4 years and I already have decent passive income, a small rental, and I'm looking to make another move.
I'm already invested in stocks, but really real estate is what piques my interest. Specifically, high quality real estate. And I must admit I am a bit cramped at my house because I still live at home (part of the reason I was able to save so much). I've come to a crossroads where I actually feel like I need to get out because I live in such a rural area. I've grown up here and lived here all of my life but there are NO opportunities in tech really. Those that are available are quickly filled by experienced professionals who more than likely want to move to this area for the great quality of living/no pollution/greenery/etc. That doesn't help me. It also doesn't help that I'm at least 5 hours away from a decent sized tech city, which I don't even really like.
So, I am going to put a down payment towards something. The Seattle area is really where I want to be: in a good neighborhood, close to things where I can ride my bike pretty much everywhere, close to work, etc. Long term, I'm interested in coding, specifically front-end web development and design. I'm also interested in Business Intelligence. Problem is, I'm definitely "entry-level" material. I know that Seattle is competitive but I still feel I have a much better shot of finding opportunities that make me happy in a place like this. I recognize money doesn't go far in Seattle and it's hard to cash flow. I think a beginners mistake is to bank on appreciation, but I really don't see how you can go wrong in such a high growth area. Basically, I want to establish roots in an area where I have opportunities for myself, an asset I have also invested in obviously by going to school. I would shoot for a 2-3 bedroom and rent out the rooms I'm not using via Airbnb or even a short term lease. I picked Seattle because of the similar people-mindset, similar quality of living, opportunities, etc. I'm not sure I'll end up there but this is where I'm thinking at least initially. We'll call this scenario "A".
That said, I could also put the down payment on at least 2-3 different properties in an area where cash flow is much greater. I've ran the numbers and if I did this I could probably have enough cash flow to actually exceed any rent I would have living in Seattle, or whatever city I was in. This is scenario "B".
But my long term goals are to have 2-3 high end rentals in nice neighborhoods with good quality tenants. I realize "B" is probably the better short term investment. "A" just sounds so appealing and less headache though. Conversely, I understand that I would have to put more money down for "A" to cash-flow. "B", provided I found the ideal properties should cash-flow with much less down and would have better cap rates than I could ever find in Seattle city limits.
So, I basically know how to weigh these decisions out on my own, by determining opportunity costs, happiness levels, etc, but I just wanted to see if there was something I'm missing by posting this here, since everyone here has similar mindsets. It's a major decision.
Sorry for the long read, but thanks for making it this far if you did!