Best advice for someone who wants to invest in RE and needs to build retirement and get cash flow

[Juliette V.]

I'm starting my RE portfolio, and I'm very excited but I'm also overwhelmed. 

I currently have a 250,000 loan which I am going to invest in Nashville-this summer.  Very soon.  I'm moving to Nashville this fall, and I'm so torn on how to work this magic and try to think as a investor. 

I will need to live in one of the of the places I buy, maybe rent a room for extra income.  

So, this is why I'm torn---emotional versus investment, old vs more expensive and new etc.

$250,000 - I have options there.  In SoCal, I don't. 

You can buy homes and decent condos for $125,000.  You can even buy older homes that may need some work for $60,000 in areas that demand about $750-$850 in rent--and they are located near downtown which is going through major transition from low income -- up.  Or you can buy a brand new home 2 minutes from downtown in a transitional neighborhood (but that uses my whole lump sum) or buy a beautiful home in the country 15 minutes from the city with $250,000.. 

Right outside of downtown Nashville--in an area of transition--there's a new baseball stadium going in.  That seems to me that it will attract great crowds, music, concerts...and I feel like the growth will continue to grow and get nice in that area with that kind of numbers flowing through there.  It just makes sense to me, but I could be wrong...

Here's the info...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln4xitRfzKA

I'm overwhelmed by "options"  and I also feel like maybe I should just buy one property--because it seems crazy but also smart to buy more if I can=now.  But, considering I only own 1 condo---I feel I shouldn't get too ahead of myself. 

Can someone help after sorting through my rambling and if you had the same scenario - what would you do?  Also, near downtown or suburbia?

Thank you for listening and reading!