I am not suggesting this is the only issue but I have seen some listings in the area with horrible photos online which usually is the first impression.

I knew Cousins was going to get let go by the Redskins when I saw him practicing with sponges. 

I would make the payments directly to the mortgage company and would either have the statements mailed to me or see what I would need to do to get online access to review the account.In looking online, I see a few other strategies such as deeding the property to a land trust where the buyer would be the beneficiary and some people discussing the transaction with the bank and being open about it. 

In practice, on the claims I've done, they will hand over the additional amount once you have a signed contract to do the work.

Practice makes perfect when it comes to analyzing and you will also notice which wholesalers are sending you deals and which aren’t.

We have a practice of "one lease, one payment" and ask our tenants to designate one representative to send us a single security deposit and single rent payment each month.  

Hi Jessica, For screening tenants, marketing and online application features, feel free to reach out to me directly and I can send you over some recommendations! 

You want as much "experience" under your belt and while you don't have the personal experience, many MANY people have shared their personal experiences in these forums, in books, & other blogs online.

My question is, are there any best practices when using a VA loan as an investor to maximize is usage. 

But those are good practices no matter who you talk to.Good luck!