^ Needing to stay close to a certain area is fine as long as your circumstances necessitate it. But I also think it's a bit of a gamble because where you get in will impact your future more than whatever it is that's keeping you in or around a certain place. Circumstances change, people break up, they move on, and life goes on. Is your reason for wanting to stay close to Cleveland one that you won't regret three, four, or five years from now? You gotta ask yourself that before you make that decision.
I think you should absolutely add a few more schools to your list. You sound like a competitive applicant so why not apply to 8-10 schools and see what happens?
1. You can have one or two external members on your dissertation committee and they can be from any school anywhere in the world (some departments have weird rules about that so you should check with your department). Your external member can't be your advisor, but they can certainly serve on your committee.
2. Your UG research experience is absolutely relevant. Very few UGs come with publications so programs are always interested in UG research experience, even if it's not in your area (as is the case with you). You can frame it as, "I can do qualitative research too". There's no shame in that. You want to include a paragraph stating something like, "my research experience includes..." and explain exactly what you did and how you contributed to the project. Every little detail that can set you apart from the rest is relevant. Did you learn how to use MAXQDA or NVIVO? Did you transcribe long interviews? Help narrow down interview questions? Assist with audio recording and transportation? Hell, I'd include even smaller details in there. You will likely be competing with some people with masters degrees who have a lot more research experience than you do, so explain every little detail.
3. No one can tell you what your chances are. It depends on the applicant pool and what they have to offer. Your chances depend on how good or poor the rest of the applications are, whether your concentration area is overcrowded, and whether your POI is taking new students this year. Other than that, I'd say you sound like a competitive applicant based on your GRE, GPA, and research experience (for an UG).
