Then there are the challenges with Section 8 tenants paying utilities and taking care of their rental property.

Do you know how to read the credit/criminal background?

Quote from @Bob Floss II: I don't know the laws in your area, but tread carefully assuming a judge will award specific performance when money damages are available.  

Over the next 5–10 years, I plan to scale to a portfolio of rental properties and eventually diversify into syndications.I’m particularly interested in the Lynchburg, VA market and other areas with strong rental demand.What I Bring to the Table:I’ve been saving aggressively, and I’m exploring physician loans to help get started with minimal upfront costs.I’ve done a lot of reading (shoutout to BiggerPockets books!)

Also think about what can be damaged (tenants generally don't take care of the place as well as you would). 

At the end of the day, 99% of sellers and brokers only care about your surety to close (I leave out 1% that might care about HOW you operate your deals, regardless of price paid).The fact that you have never closed a large transaction AND are not providing all your proof of funds up front and/or talking with brokers about where the money is coming from, will give them some trepidation.  

Start by reading Rich Dad Poor Dad and Set for Life to shift your mindset, and remember that your first deal or breakthrough networking moment will boost your confidence.

You can read the rules in the footer of every page.We are happy to have you here.

Also, don't complain about your offer not being accepted - just submit a better one or walk away - the seller doesn't care about anything other than how long its been on the market and how close to ask you are.

@Brett Coultas if you're a newbie, you want to be careful of an "investor friendly" agent selling you something they truly don't understand:(95+% of agents only know how to handle owner-occupied transactions - you can verify this by asking them calculate ROI for you or Cash-On-Cash!