Have incredibly strict criteria...that will solve your problem.

We had a girl who was head over the heels about the place at our open house, but her realtor has advised her not to put it under contract because he is confident it will get a low appraisal due to the appraiser only using in project comps (he also mentioned that it is a VA loan, and they are very strict about staying in the project).I also believe that the realtors are not even showing this to their clients because of the above reason (though we have had about 4 showings).  

They don't have the time to manage their assets, so this works for them.I have others who are strictly private money investors who are presented with real estate opportunities and either own percentages of the acquisitions or receive a fixed return on their money, and are 100% hands off because of their minority ownership.

Or is 12 months a strict requirement?

A less strict town would be nice.

Regular mortgages loans are pretty strict on requirements and don't like two properties under one loan.  

I know at Fort Lee, VA there were very strict rules on what facilities qualifed for permitted TDY housing.Also, there have been a lot of changes to the DTS system and the Army is pushing hard to get people into the IHG facilities on post FIRST.

I've been investing for 9 or so years and I will always check with my realtor about every 6 months to see if any new lending has popped up that she's aware of.I know for a fact that a couple of investors in my area are now using my lender strictly based off referrals from a previous seller realtor that saw how I was closing my deal with their buyer.

It's because we're very, very strict about this.2) Communication:I would be very hesitant to not to give them specific instructions on you to communicate with you.

It may have an affect on whether or not they accept the offer but your numbers should strictly be based on the value of the property in its current condition and market.