Buying a property that will inevitably rent at a loss

[Jacob G.]

I am moving to Hawaii and considering purchasing a property for the time that I will be there (2-4 years/military). After doing research, and speaking with local realtors, it came to the conclusion that the property would inevitably rent at a loss. I'm wondering if this is still a smart option to generate equity even if I'm paying the difference on the loan myself or potentially sell after my time in Hawaii comes to an end. I do plan on returning at a later date to live in the property or leverage the property to buy a different property on the island. 

My other option is to rent a property at a lesser monthly cost but miss out an opportunity to own. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.