As I’m saving up for my first investment, I would like to learn more about the industry - and it would be nice to earn some income while doing so.Are there any specific skills or knowledge I need to secure a VA side gig? 

I'd talk to brokers in your specific asset class and market.Do you already own similar assets?

I have not selected a specific property yet, but want to at least identify my potential investors.

There are financing options based on your specific circumstances. 

If you want the exact process you'd need to speak directly to the planning/zoning dept and specifically ask them these questions to outline the exact process for this property. 

The specific assistance organization, the screening of the tenant, the property, and the PM company that should be communicating with the tenant all play a role in the success of your investment in regards to tenants.

After I joined there was one very specific, honest review by Zach Harsh and boy did he get slandered for it.

Too often, I just hear people say they are "looking for a good deal", but defining that good deal in a specific area makes it much easier to spot. 

Is there any specific area where you could use some support or advice?

Curious how this will play out in the courts (granted it's LTR) and affect pricing products used for STR such as PriceLabs (which I use but have to seriously manually adjust for very specific reasons).