How do I get to a second property?

[Poe George]

I have a plan to house hack into a duplex or triplex using a VA loan, and will act in the next 90 days. I want to get a portfolio of either single family homes or small multi-families with my goal of 3 properties in two years and 6 in four years.

The problem I have and that is hard to research is how to take that first property and parlay it into the second and third etc. Do I refinance out of the VA loan after a year and use the money to get the second property? Do I do hard money loans to secure them? any advice?