Newbie with access to VA loan

[Sierra Alderman]

Hello everyone, I have been interested in house hacking for some time, but money and a mobile life (husband in the military) has been holding me back. The next place we will be in, Fort Walton Beach, FL, has reasonable house prices and we now have access to the VA loan ($0 down!) A few things, though:

-There are very few/ no multifamily units. 

-We will only be in Fort Walton for a year and a few months before going to the next place.

With VA, it has to be owner-occupied, so as much as I would love to rent it out, I would have to sell before leaving. With no multifamily options, it seems my investment might not be worth it.

A "free" (no down payment, I know there are closing costs to consider) house to start building equity sounds too good to pass up, but the chance of being underwater in a year after buying scares me. Any suggestions? Otherwise I will probably buy out of state with a conventional/FHA loan once I save up enough money. Or wait until a more permanent move.

Thanks for your time.