Military Investor looking for advice

[Kyle Johnson]

Good morning all, thanks for taking the time to provide feed back.

Scenario: I am an active duty Soldier living in the state of GA and will be PCSing (moving) to TX here in a few months. My Family and I (Wife and 3 boys) purchase a house September 2019 (4 Bed/3 Bath, ~3200sqft, 2 car, .45 acres) for $84/sqft using a 0 down VA Financing. We were expecting to be in the home for a least 2-3 years at which point we planned to rent the property out ($1800-1900). During the closing we had an unfinished room finished bringing the home to a 5/3 @ ~3500sqft. As with most military personnel the unexpected timing of a move has put us in a position to move prior to being in the property for one year. Additionally, while doing standard updates/maintenance including re-landscaping,exterior and interior cleaning etc. I discovered a water supply line that cracked and was leaking. This was the third minor leak since we purchased the home back in September. Instead of just patching another 1ft section of plumbing i had GC come out and identify the cause of the problem/cause of loss and initiated an insurance claim.

Currently we have replaced the entire supply line due to bad pipe being installed improperly. We are also replacing the tile floors, carpet 2ft flood cuts on the 1st floor and all new cabinetry. Approximately $40K total once everything is complete (including the mitigation bill). Other information: housing market is significantly higher then when we purchased (+$5-$10 sqft). Stable renters (mostly military) in the area, popular and growing city. Horrible property management options in the area.

Questions: 

1. Rent vs Sale: cash flow ~$30-$210 depending on management fees. $10,000-$35,000 capital gains once sold after all fees.

2. advertising while under construction: We will likely have to move 10-15 days after construction is complete. Looking to minimize the vacancy rate/closing but dont know if it good decision to advertise as is under construction and "living" upstairs. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

3. Buying our next home: I know that the second time you use a VA loan the fees go up, Im additionally concerned with purchasing a home sight un-seen. I learned a lot from purchasing this home and now better what to look for. What are tips or best practices other investors have used for investing, financing, inspecting etc.

Thanks for the advice, looking to avoid putting my family in a bad position in the future. 

[Dave Foster]

@Kyle Johnson, The property is your primary residence so wouldn't qualify for a 1031 exchange.  But given your transfer status I believe you would qualify for a prorated tax free sale.  And since your profit is only going to be $10K - $40K. I think it would probably all be tax free.   

A problem child newly renovated.  A less than stellar rental.  Tax free gain.  Easy decision for me - sell and start over again with $40K in your pocket.