Regarding foreclosures and short sales:One thing to take into account, for a VA loan, the house has to be in livable condition.

Long story short, Wife & I were planning to visit her family in Vietnam for entire month of August (cleared my work schedule) but recently learned wife is pregnant and her doctor & CDC do not recommend pregnant females travel to Vietnam due to risk of Zika Virus.

Put up shutters and maybe a short white picket along that front walk.

I have been researching wholesaling and believe that wholesaling may be a better opportunity to get started at least in the short term.

@Colin Charles anything far west end (Short Pump, Goochland, Glen Allen) is out.

The short answer is by offering more but you already knew that. 

Long story short, it's is illegal in many states.

This offer is only good for the next 5 days.Here's what Pro members get:Better, direct conventional mortgage lender - $1,000 off closing costs ($1,000 in savings)Roofstock, leading marketplace for buying tenant­-occupied rental property – Save $500 at closing on first investment property ($500 in savings)NBKC, full-service, FDIC insured national bank and an approved Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lender - $200 off closing cost and 0.25% off mortgage interest rate ($200+ in savings)Sense Financial, convert 401k or IRA to use for real estate investing – 30% off setup fees ($300 in savings)Buildium, property management for property mangers – Get 20% off first year of annual subscription ($30-$40+ in savings)Rentometer, easy way to compare your rent with other local properties – 50% off Pro monthly subscription ($15 monthly savings)RentRedi, property management for owners that self-manage – 40% off monthly fee ($8 monthly savings)NeighborhoodScout, leading all-in-one platform for real estate trends & data – 20% off first first monthly or annual payment ($10- $287 monthly or annual savings)AirDNA, interactive tool to analyze the global short-term rental market – 30% discount for first 6 months (savings range)HomeAdvisor, digital marketplace for connecting with service professionals for home projects - Free concierge for hiring & scheduling service professionals ($500+ value)+ more!

Honestly those are the only ways short of direct marketing to the owners.  

I am moving to Hartford, CT this fall and am currently figuring out what would be the best decision to take for short-term (2-3 years) living.