If you got your credit decent you can start soft shopping for conventional/fha home loans if you didnt do so well improving  your credit this is where you start looking for private  lenders, partners and investors.

If you’re nervous, dig into local investor clubs.. from what I’ve heard, even in London you’ll find groups meeting over coffee, talking shop, and sharing leads.

It was a pizza shop and now is a blank slate. 

Is this generally true for all insurance companies? 

For example if there is a Starbucks there, typically there can't be a competing coffee shop in the same plaza. 

Criteria:6 months STR2 bd, 2 ba, Single Level House Furnished with yard, washer & dryer with A/C (inland not near coast)Pet Allowable 40 lb labodor 10 yrs, 40 lbs Red Heeler Mix and 6 lbs catNear VA Hospital, shops, grocery stores (at least 25 minutes commute)

Sounds a little to good to be true. 

Find an Insurance Broker that can shop the market.

There are exceptions - some properties are set up such that installing a few electric baseboard heaters might be possible to save on the gas bill - but i would still just shy away if not metered separately at the outset.  10) do shop for a lender and compare (usually pretty standard but there can be some fluctuation) - dont fall for the ones that sound too good to be true - there are gimmicks out there - big bank or reputable broker should do you fine.  

At the time I looked, 20 or so years ago, the problem with smaller down towns is the proliferation of nearby strip malls, where the stores are surrounded by a large parking lots, and for laundromats, attract more customers as they can park easily, walk to adjacent stores for shopping, snacks, and browse newspaper and magazine racks, which explains why they do better, there's more customers.