You could do a full MTR during the period you're gone, but for me the best and easiest way to go would be to just rent the other rooms in the house as a LTR. 

My largest challenge with that is that my W2 doesn't pay me enough for me have to a large portion of down payment saved up...unless I saved more aggressively than what I do now.

My retirement system doesn't allow for me to roll anything over given that I'm still employed with the company and also under 59.5 years old.

If that is the case, for me, if they actually do bring a case, I'd try to get it wrapped up as soon as possible.

It was the right decision for me at the time to have it be an LTR, but it's a PITA restoring it.

The market there has been exceptional for me, but not without its challenges.

Start early, raise that equity well in advance, and make sure all those forms and verifications are filled out correctly.

Each market—whether it’s Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Columbus—has its own quirks, so digging into the local scene is huge.If you’re serious about tackling Ohio, I’m happy to share what’s worked for me or help point you in the right direction.

I recognize how much work is needed to succeed in this industry, and thanks to the US Army working hard has never been an issue for me.

@Patricia Andriolo-Bull, not sure if they've iterated the system since you did yours, but now there's a button for downloading the filing transcript (a PDF containing all the info that you submitted).