It will be your best bet in the long run if you stick to a city with that criteria.

Your best bet will be to partner on your deals with a Realtor then it will be worth his/her time to provide comps.

@Wayne Brooks  and in low value areas like Ohio but I don't know specially the details . but in general..Banks do mess up and miss some.. but that is an aberration not a common occurrence.And in some instances I would bet the banks would love the properties to be bought at tax sale they get some overages and don't have to deal with them.. think Detroit and other areas where the banks saw their mortgage collareral drop by 90%

Besides, in RE we have laws concerning excluding other groups, while a certain political group isn't a protected class, I'll bet there are protected classes in that political group, so that might be difficult.Why alienate a 1/2 or 1/3 or even a 1/4 of some political crazies from your point of view just to run them away wearing your beliefs on your shirt sleeve?

Typically, a smaller 6 unit building in a good location (ie coastal, good neighborhood, high density downtown, etc) has a better bet on appreciating over the years since the land is so valuable.  

And brokers frequently have desk fees and other monthly expenses you'll have to pay.In my opinion your best bet is to find an agent who will work with you.

I'll bet you'll find that there aren't that many that have gotten into the market in the past two years that are getting these numbers.  

im getting out of the military with a decent amount of money in the bank account. planning on starting with a duplex investment and renting out the other side . i wanted to learn more about the VA loan process . also i am repairing my credit score from a irresponsible past. is a VA loan my best bet to start investing?  

So, the bet is that FED won't let this happen.

Your best bet is to shop around and get bids from 3-5 different contractors to find the best pricing and experience for the job so you get a quality job done and maximize your loan dollars.