If you use VAs (virtual assistants) that costs money.

The grad student who has leased the place did need his parents to co-sign (and has a healthy income from scholarships and a teaching assistant position) so I feel pretty comfortable there.

My wife recently sent me a link to Bank of America's Home Grant/Down Payment Grant programs offering up to $7.5K in closing costs costs and up to $10k in down payment assistance. 

There are 3.5% down FHA loans, 5% owner occupied conventional and down payment assistance programs you can look into.

Any information or assistance is greatly appreciated. 

I would suggest you find a property and ask for some downpayment assistance from parents etc.... to fund the deal.

Happy to try and assist .

Tom is a great guy and can assist you with everything you need in your REI journey. 

Fannie Mae generally requires lenders to obtain a two-year history of the borrower’s prior earnings as a means of demonstrating the likelihood that the income will continue to be received.However, a person who has a shorter history of self-employment — 12 to 24 months — may be considered, as long as the borrower’s most recent signed federal income tax returns reflect the receipt of such income as the same (or greater) level in a field that provides the same products or services as the current business or in an occupation in which he or she had similar responsibilities to those undertaken in connection with the current business.

@Erik Nordgaard, if I was the agent I would treat it as if my buyer asked for assistance purchasing a FSBO (for sale by owner).