@Cristian PortilloDepending on the loan type you are looking for, you should be able to find rates between 3.5-5.5%.Term, LTV, FICO, DSCR, etc... all play a role in determining what rate you will qualify for.  

See Pub. 587, Business Use of Your Home, for information on determining if your home office qualifies as a principal place of business."

Is this enough time to really determine if wholesaling is right for you?

You first have to determine if you must have that cash flow to support yourself.

hard work and determination paid off.

Good to take photos so you can compare and if anyone does come back you can show that over X period of time you were at the home and nothing changed from week to week.You can be aggressive on this or less than aggressive, but good to learn your local laws and what is required to do to help you determined if it is indeed abandoned.  

Any contractor recommendations to assist with determining rehab costs for these properties would also be extremely helpful.

And how will we determine the cost for rehab if we've never been to the property in the first place 

I would not personally let age be the determining factor on whether or not you should invest in a property.

Using Listsource I determined that the zip code area 14609, 14624, and 14612 had the most absentee owners within the past six months.