If the seller owns it free and clear and/or has a lots of equity, see if he will agree to owner finance it to you for smaller down payment.

If no one tells them about balance sheet, then real estate investors aren't going to focus on them.My clients are always looking at the balance sheets after I taught them the importance of it.There are a lot of times not just real estate investors, just regular business owners, they look at the P&L and say great, I made $100K this year, but my bank is showing $10K, where is the rest of the money.

I strongly believe that with 100% digital collections done via Baselane (including security deposit collection) and it's banking service is such a risky value proposition for investors like you and me, as at some point these type of situations will always happen ... and no one else is on the hook other that you as the owner / landlord.

But, VA is the only "owner occupied" loan type that you can actually refinance after you have converted this to an investment property! 

When a self-directed IRA borrows money, the IRA account owner can't sign a personal guarantee.

Quote from @Christopher Robert Noland: Say I can get an owner finance on a 99k house for 5 years with a balloon payment. $2500 down. 

A licensed plumber charges us $350 to change a toilet but using my Maintenance Techs we charge the owners $250 to change a toilet - that is with parts and labor.

Ask to speak with some of their current owners and current/former tenants.

I live on Long Island in New York where tenant laws are not favorable for owners and often could encourage squatting. 

I have also helped a variety of both local and OOS investors buy in the metro using owner occupant and traditional investor financing.