After two years, you can qualify for a loan or continue working the seller-finance angle. 

I would recommend joining ULI (Urban Land Institute) They have a network of people that can provide exactly what you are looking for Remington is it just ULI dot com ?

So, I've closed hundreds of loans for people. 

This was my second foray into real estate investing, the previous one being through a “full service” turnkey provider.

I recently seperated from active duty went guard and my partner who is active duty and I are trying to combine our VA entitlements as we did previously and co-signed on our previous loan.

They may offer less direct management and, depending on the location, could provide a solid return.Peer-to-Peer Lending or Crowdfunding: You could look into real estate crowdfunding platforms that let you invest in real estate projects without owning property.

There was a jump even last year, but I decided to stay with that insurance provider.

I'm planning on putting 25% down because that is a requirement of the loan.

In your experience, does one approach lead to better appraisals, loan terms, or overall outcomes?

The loan is with you, not with your tenant, so none of that means anything to them - in fact because you live in one unit and it's under 4, if you were self-managing you don't even have to abide by fair housing laws (at least on the federal level).