It will take time to build a dependable and reliable network of licensed professionals you can trust.

Depending on the types of roles, I may be able to get you some resources.Good luck! 

Am I correct that a condo, depending on area and neighborhood, could be a lower risk/maintenance investment for an absentee landlord as opposed to other properties?

With your budget, depending on where you are working, I'd consider Silver Spring or Hyattsville  

It depends. all you talked about was the property but financing is more about the borrower, their experience, their credit, the cash available etc.

Hi, pre foreclosure in all of its permutations, before the bank sends Notice of Default (NOD) or efter which is state even county dependant but often starts a 4 week clock till the trustee auction are the 2nd most difficult deal scenario and IMHO only experienced investors should bother, the 1st most difficult deal scenario are bidding at the court house steps on lord only knows what is being auctioned off sometimes even 2nd mortgages, you need to do so much home work to attempt to reduce your risk at the court house steps...Pre foreclosure no one talks about these issues, always about the nice sounding stuff like "motivated seller" get a good deal etc etc both are usually not the case.- 95% of folks in pre or post NOD want to stay in their house, keep their house inspite of them 100% will loose the house at the auction. 

The violation - depending on your state - will provide a 'cure period' before eviction proceedings would begin. 

Depends on what you have to pay for your money, may not be worth it.

I think this question is dependent upon location.

You could use a HELOC, but with VA loans you have an allotment so you can get loans on more than one home depending on how much bandwidth they give you.