You can, of course, go down that path. 

In most major metro areas, you'd need to put down 40-50% just to have the rent cover PITI.

Try to narrow down your options to the top 3-4.

Don't get bogged down on wanting the cheapest option. 

The math with 1% is so easy though that you can do it in your head and that is why people like and use it.

With many seasoned real estate investors locked into low first mortgage rates and large equity positions, many borrowers and investors have been exploring tapping second position loans like home equity lines of credit for reinvestment capital towards down payment or rehabilitation funds. 

See if you can run comps and narrow it down to the few that are in your neighborhood or as close as you can get to it.

I am always down to talk and learn more about REI. 

Although you live miles away, plan a business trip to the area and maybe hire a local attorney to help you track down the owner or owner's relatives and make an offer.  

Bryan, with older VAs, the pricipal has been reduced so there can easily be enough bandwidth, newer VAs I beleive go up to something like 200+K, doesn't mean they use all of that to buy the first home under a VA, so there can be more to tap into, especially at today's prices.The best way to disclose, IMO, is to say that you may not be eligible for another VA loan, I wouldn't tell them they can't unless I looked at their entitlements and loan balances.I haven't done VAs for so,me years now, the amounts of the entitlements change with the median price of homes, I have never seen them come down, but I guess they could...later