Either go all in on the flip and sell or all in on the STR, but don't try to mix them. 

Depending on strategy I would rank them as followsFix and Flip: VB (I would focus on higher end Flips with bigger returns), Chesapeake (mixed but most opportunity for higher end Flips), Norfolk (lower end and older homes to me = more headaches), Suffolk, Newport News. 

So once you get to 5 units, most investors end up on the commercial mortgage side of a bank.And as he notes, from a brokerage standpoint, in my market, I see most 8 units or less exclusively on the MLS.  8-20ish units are a mix of MLS and Loopnet/Brokerage sites.  20+ units are almost exclusively listed by brokers that specialize in multi-family and you will not see their names on yard signs anywhere.  

Also, I would be delighted to connect with investors who are active in my area.

I follow listings on rabbu, you have to filter through some but I find they have a good mix of units for sale and do a good job marketing them.

The overall development is a mix of various builders of condos, townhomes, and SFRs.

I feel these are basics, though I've seen mixed opinions elsewhere about salt and pepper.

I design every house and multifamily and mixed use development we do including every component, assembly, etc.

Also since the first purchase would be FHA (3.5%), I would still have money saved for the down payment on the next, probably in the range of around 50k, also could get a partner for the second, though since this will be my first two purchases, I'm leary about adding a partner already into the mix. 

Many mix these up and get sued.Regarding how much SD to charge in general, many landlords just charge the max.