I just passed my RE licensing exam and was hoping to pick the brains of others on here. I was curious if anyone has used a VA effectively to generate consistent leads?

Im growing but feel im at a pivotal point.

Is this just growing pains I have to fight through or do I just keep saving money until I have the down payment?

All the best in your journey, and I hope that you continue to learn and grow through BP.

For example, would you change the amount set aside based on age of the property?

US population is still growing due to immigration and even in other countries where population is stagnating or declining (Europe, Japan)  housing prices and rents haven't dropped dramatically to my knowledge. 

As your #'s grow, I would expect a discount... but not at the beginning. 

It is simply a means to diversify your savings into an asset that you may understand better and have more control over.For you to have access to the funds personally, you would need to take a distribution, which will involve federal and state taxes, as well as a 10% penalty for early distribution if you are under age 59 1/2. 

I already have some pitential investors Looking to continue to grow the amount of rentals I have but at the current rate I will deplete my cash reserves quickly and I do not want to slow down while I wait to recover downpayments from my rents.

As equity grows, you can deploy it to buy an investment property or pay down debt.Hope this helps...