My interesting situation

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Hello to everyone,

I just joined BiggerPockets today and am an extreme newbie to real estate.  I'm currently in an interesting situation.  I lived in Chicago for 10 years and moved to Charleston a few months ago to help a friend start a business.  My original plan was to move back to Chicago when I was finished here but now as I start to research the real estate industry more I'm wondering what is the smarter move for me, move back or stay in Charleston.  

I am interested in getting started by buying a multi-family home and living in one unit while renting the others out.  I know there are a lot of factors to consider in each place but I am curious as to if anyone has any advice or input on starting off in the real estate industry in either city.  Am I crazy to think I can get off to a good start in Chicago as opposed to Charleston?  Is it harder to get started in this industry in a larger metropolis versus a smaller city?  Am I being to paranoid about it?

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance,

Tim Coppola