What is your preferred method of contact and when is a good time? 

Lots of people go that route, but there's probably an equal number that wouldn't risk their home and prefer to use other people's money. 

I realize that everyone will run a MTR business differently and I prefer to learn from different operators and develop my own technique 

Quote from @Paul Lucenti: Would you rather have monthly cash flow or would you prefer a quick pay day after 3-6 months?

If not for you and you prefer the traditional route, I would explore potential "up and coming" markets such as Acworth, Cartersville, and Douglasville, where the price-to-rent ratio is a little more favorable, and growth is apparent.

I have enough in my US accounts to buy a property outright but I'd prefer to buy with leverage. 

Due to our love of traveling and hating the negatives that LTR brings along, we prefer STR and offering the same memorable experiences to travelers that we have experienced when traveling.

I prefer to negotiate the purchase price removing any seller commission. 

One strategy is to pursue properties (in your preferred markets) that have been listed for sale for over 90 days (even longer is better).

lots can go into this somewhat simple question and most of it is personal preference.- you'll want to define "best", and what that looks like for you as a success.- How much money do you have to spend?