My state doesn't have a foreclosure auction calendar that shows ALL of the upcoming foreclosure auctions, that also reflects postponements (important) and cancellations.

I actually wish this was the worst of the problems, it is only the tip of the ice burg!

I try and push my clients a bit more on year end items from October on so January isn't a Poop show for all parties. 

Any other tips?

Using a VA loan for a second property, where I’d move in and rent out my current home.When I made an offer on a fixer-upper (I didn’t win that bid), the loan officer mentioned it might be difficult to convince the underwriter why I’d need another VA loan for a second property in the same area, especially since the new home is almost identical to my current one (same size, age, school district, etc.).

John, I use a collection agency for my management company but I do not believe they deal with one off accounts.

But the best ways to get started are, in my opinion: 1) save up enough for a 10-20% down payment and then save a lot more on top of that for reserves, overages, and any unforeseen repairs.    2) have your financial house in order and have credit above 700 to get more favorable rate and terms from lenders.   3) speak to a loan officer that is experienced with fix and flips and get the necessary documents together for a pre approval (typically not much required, usually a valid ID, LLC docs if any, and two months of bank statements showing funds for down payment and reserves). 

We are about 1/2 way done my personal residence.

If so, a quick tip that has worked for me in the past is to just attend some real estate meetups in your area (or host one yourself).

I'd rather not tap into my own homes equity as I want everything to run through our LLC.