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

I was looking at my long term plan the other day (which I drew up in 2013) and realized it is going to be an impossibility in the northern Virginia market because returns are so slim.I love Richmond and while I'm not crazy about long distance investing and property managers, I know there's a lot of potential in that market.Bottom line, I'm looking for stable, low vacancy SFH's in the $100-120k range, in up and coming areas, which rent for about 1%/month, and I plan on using a management company.

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

Get lower paying job when fInally let go. 2-leave area foR saMe salary range and sell current rentals since I am not comfortable being long distance landlord. 3-cash out and pay taxes and penalties on ~$200k 401k and really jump start my rental portfolio to replace lost income. 4- some combination of these.

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

I would hate to do our first one long distance and get turned off altogether because of one experience if it’s bad.

We plan to continue educating ourself while overseas and practice analyzing deals from a distance.2) there is also all this talk about the market (stock/real estate) correcting late 2019/2020.

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.