Choosing a search location

I've heard various thoughts about the importance of where you choose to base your search. One belief is that you are more likely to buy something within driving distance of where you are searching. That seems logical given it would be easier / quicker to visit a business that comes to your attention and opportunities could arise through your local network. If you believed that, and had a strong geographic preference, it would make sense to search from close to where you hope to end up buying a business. But if you're truly doing a national search, it seems like it would make the most sense to search near a good (hub) airport. I also sense that most people who are doing a "national search" tend to have some measure of location preference. Does anyone have thoughts about the importance of search location as a factor in where you ultimately end up? I'm weighing the value of moving to "somewhere we'd rather end up" to search, as opposed to staying put under the assumption that we'll probably have to move a second time whenever we find a business anyway.