The VA loan is powerful - no money down and no PMI - can be split across properties - caps out in the Springs around 495k I'm sure California is higher - there is a funding fee that increases up to your third time using the loan but in my opinion it's still a better deal because your interest rates are typically .15 -.50 lower so you make up the money in the longer run - If you are a disabled vet more than 10% your funding fee gets waved.

I requested that the counter be put in writing in the same format as mine through an AOE, but my realtor mentioned that is not the standard and this is typically only done when negotiations are complete.

I typically stay out of areas less than C+, like 38127. 

Roof jobs typically reveal rotten wood/etc that needs to be repaired after the shingles come off.  

See if an investor typically averages thousands or tens of thousands of dollars for their time per hour then if they spend time with you they are not only not making money but losing that return per hour.So if someone spends time with a potential investor and they take 20 hours at 2,000 an hour that costs the experienced investor 40,000 in time.What Is great about Bigger Pockets is you can post when you have some time and then thousands or more can read it at their leisure and learn something without constant direct one on one involvement.

What answer do you typically give, when they want to know why you don't want to buy their property?

What I see is them bolt through the asphalt shingles and typically do not even apply anything (caulk) to water seal. 

You can refinance out of FHA in 6 months, assuming the equity is there.But typically FHA isn't investor friendly past the first one for various other reasons.3% or 5% down conventional SFR?

People typically are extremely bad at putting a dollar ammount to what their time is worth and feel guilty/anxious whatver parting with money to do something they could of done themselves.

Re: off season, I use the old tried-and-true of lowering your price :p  I typically set mine at/near the lowest I'm willing to accept and take what I get (I don't go too low because after a certain point the risk/reward doesn't pay off).