First House hack area with Opportunity Cost

[Wyatt Hopkins]

Hey yall, I'm new to real estate investing and want to get into it by house hacking. I've listened to podcasts and done research but I have a question that maybe yall seasoned folks might be able to answer or provide a clear direction. 

So I'm in a situation where I work (Charlottesville, Va) has great opportunities to buy multifamily units or houses to house hack. The area has a low vacancy rate and a substantial rent cost depending on where you are. But where I live currently has a power plant and a big Amazon data center being constructed and has the potential to turn the county into a big business center. I was told I should buy land while it's still cheap, build a house, and house hack it to have assets that potentially have a high appreciation return.

so my question is, should I go with the Charlottesville route that is already developed but low vacancy rate or take a chance and build in my hometown in hopes of finding tenants and a high appreciation return. Thanks for any and all input and I can't wait to hear from yall! 

[Wyatt Hopkins]

@Jacob St. Martin Thank you for your input, Jacob! And I totally agree with you, building a house with intentions to house hack is an unpopular approach to real estate investing. As of right now I am still in the learning and looking phase but I would love to connect with you sometime in the foreseeable future!