For me living in Seattle, itwas cheaper, easier, and quicker to travel to AZ.

A Short Sale may be the way to go, but a Lease-Option can still work and could be way easier since it does not require bank approval.

Is it easier to find a rental property in Lufkin?

The hardest part about getting a good rental in San Antonio is on the buy @Ray Li The renters are easier than you think... the next problem is finding qualified renters as always!

When the reward is multiplied by multiple properties the bumps are easier to survive.It is not a question of whether one property can be profitable it is more a question of whether one property is worth the effort based on that profit.

By cheaper i mean that it would be easier for me to get into the investment. i am living abroad now on a lower salary, but will be making a position change soon and start saving up a fund for a return to USA and to start investing. plus, by that time, I will have a track record on the san jose property that i guess i can use to get into other properties. 

Many have posted a few great tips already, that's the cool thing about this forum ;-)That said, I highly recommend using the awesome tools provided here on BP to learn the basics of analysis and underwriting.A few tips to get started and your continued learning:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area.Set up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you.Read Beginner’s Guide.Check out BP Podcasts.Find upcoming real estate events and meetups near you.If you'd like to tag someone in the conversation, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person that appears below the comments box.

Long term that could be fairly challenging I think.If you are talking 100k cash and not leveraging j think that’s much easier

Most of these questions appear in other sections as well, where you can get a more authoritative answer.

If you're only looking to invest in your market then you can always pay your properties down and perhaps put aside money for a down payment as well in the event a too-good-to-be-true deal appears so you readily have the funds to get it under contract/put 20% down.