On another note, I know several people who specialize in and do well with LO and SLO in any market. 

I would first, find and read the tenant/landlord code in the rentals area.

Does anyone have any good recommendations or suggestions on any good mortgage lenders that specialize in this sort of thing?

Probably blocking based off merchant category code...

Reaching out to anyone who has some ground knowledge of the Virginia Beach area in the way of best investment neighborhoods vs zip codes to stay clear of.

For many policies, if it is in the name of John Smith & Joe Jones, John Smith is the first named insured and has some special rights such as Initiating cancellation, requesting policy changes, receiving notices & return premiums. 

These are professionals with additional training and a stricter code of ethics.

What areas do they specialize in?

For many policies, if it is in the name of   John Smith & Joe Jones, John Smith is the first named insured and has some special rights such as Initiating cancellation, requesting policy changes, receiving notices & return premiums.

I have built and remodeled hundreds of homes utilizing green materials, energy efficient products, and high-performance building techniques that most builders have never heard of simply because the practices I utilize are ABOVE code.