Public records may show original loan terms and amount borrowed, and from that you can estimate the remaining balance. 

.- no title seasoning on cash out refinances unlike FHA which has 12 months of title seasoning after purchase before you can use market value value or conventional which requires 6 months after acquisition (this applies to CO refinances where you used financing initially to purchase not DFE or delayed financing exception which is an all cash purchase and there is no lien/deed recorded on the property at the time of close), This becomes very handy for  creative RE entrepreneur once you learn how to force equity through adding value to properties you can use VA's no title seasoning advantage to increase the speed at which you move from deal to deal quicker than Conv/FHA- no self sufficiency rule when owner occupying 3-4 unit properties which FHA has (a rule that makes buying 3-4 unit FHA properties in high cost areas nearly impossible) so this a huge plus- use of rental income or other peoples income (OPI) to help you qualify on your 2-4 unit VA purchase (FHA and Conv does allow this too)There's a lot more you can do to optimize your mortgage planning from an investors perspective.With the introduction of the 2018 Tax Cuts, you can structure your taxes strategically to not only greatly reduce the tax impact but also remain bankable to most money sources.

Stay away from desperate sellers who are looking to unload a problem property or problem location, look for seller motivation that is not rooted in the property, but in the sellers personal circumstances. 

Thanks for your reply...very valid points, but let's just assume that maybe the investor wants to achieve a good cash on cash return for a period of time, but does not want to remain for a very long term. 

If you are writing a book with a motive of attracting investors to your venture I suppose you have to say that what you are doing is different than what the other guys are doing.In either case money is raised from passive investors to invest in real estate to be acquired and managed by the investment sponsor.  

I believe that Self-Storage is the niche for me, more so, investing in a Class B or C property with a distressed/motivated seller.. 

Current Mortgage: 4.75% interest, $57,812 remaining balance, current payment (including taxes and insurance) is $651.48.

Now, when it is time for a military move then you can do it again at the new location with the remaining amount of the VA benefit or refinance the VA loan into a conventional loan and use the full benefit again.

The call came from the sellers boyfriend, stating that the seller's house was full of "bad memories" from a previous marriage and that she was motivated to sell.

You can get good deals on turn key properties if you find a motivated seller.You do your due diligence same as any other property.