Can I buy it as a vacation rental to get the better interest rate?

If you are looking for turnkey properties, buying at or below lender LTV will likely not be possible because you are paying for someone else's value add/profit. but if you are adding value(Buying distressed) and adding your own value, then your possibilities open up tremendously.The mission is to limit the amount of cash in the deal. 

You may be declined for not being an owner occupant, but it will still buy a little more time.

You do this buy buying a quality asset in a good enough location.

I ask because we only buy houses around the southern US (TX,OK,AR,TN) but we're curious to know if more opportunities to buy foreclosures could potentially exist in other markets. 

Hi Amy,That’s exciting—congrats on getting ready to buy your first property!

Reason I ask is because after buying the lot, the seller was also a builder and mentioned he could sell me his plans and connect me with his Architect.3.

I was wondering what your experience has been, good or bad with buying rental property in close proximity to the firehouse/station?

I didn't buy there when I could have gotten them at $5k per side in 2012thst whole area is rentals.

You can buy a SFR to live in for 12 months & then convert into a rental.