It's very fulfilling!!

It's a life long behavior with her.

This fulfills the owner-occupied requirement while also allowing you to get your foot in the door of real estate investing.Or is your intent to purchase a single-family home and then rent it out once you PCS away from El Paso?

We know in Chicago you have to allow subleasing but we also know if a solution can be created for the tenant to be off the hook once they fulfill specific terms agreed to that they would prefer that option first and foremost and most likely be amendable to favorable terms you might have as the Landlord.  19 years later we have been able to avoid subleasing for the most part due to the higher risk of messing something up.

Another thing is that if the home has appreciated since the tenant buyer moved in (not happening in most of the country right now), they could show the purchase price vs the value and some lenders would count that equity as fulfilling the down payment requirement.

That's a great question: how do I know if someone who has a fiduciary responsibility to me is actually fulfilling it? 

Critical Check Points: Tenant selection - screen and choose well; Lease Up - establish a strong rental agreement and make sure the tenant understands your expectations; First Three Months - like a probationary period, check in more often, most problem tenants reveal themselves within the first three months; Lease Violations - swift follow-up and enforcement; Regular Inspections - frequency will depend on a number of factors, including how well the tenant is fulfilling their responsibilities.

If they can’t fulfill your needs at that point, at least you both gave it an honest try which will end with no regret if you go elsewhere.

Lived in it for a little over a year to fulfill the occupancy requirements of the VA loan, then moved out and rented.

In reference to @Peter Walther post about foreclosure, the following is copy & pasted directly from the State Bar of Wisconsin Form 11-2003 Land Contract:"Purchaser agrees that in the event of a default in the payment of principal or interest which continues for a period ofdays following the due date or a default in performance of any other obligation of Purchaser which continuesfor a period of days following written notice thereof by Vendor (delivered personally or mailed by certifiedmail), the entire outstanding balance under this contract shall become immediately due and payable at Vendor's optionand without notice (which Purchaser hereby waives), and Vendor may singly, alternatively or in combination: (i)terminate this Contract and either recover the Property through strict foreclosure or have the Property sold by foreclosuresale; in either event, with a period of redemption, in the court's discretion, to be conditioned on full payment of the entireoutstanding balance, with interest thereon from the date of default and other amounts due hereunder (failing which allamounts previously paid by Purchaser shall be forfeited as liquidated damages for failure to fulfill this Contract and asrental for the Property); (ii) sue for specific performance of this Contract; (iii) sue for the unpaid purchase price or anyportion thereof; (iv) declare this Contract at an end and remove this Contract as a cloud on title in a quiet-title action if theequitable interest of Purchaser is insignificant; (v) have Purchaser ejected from possession of the Property and have areceiver appointed to collect any rents, issues or profits; or (vi) pursue any other remedy available in law or equity.