The simplest route you can go is to get a conventional loan with 20 to 25% down, for an investment property.

This isn't the fastest or the simplest option, but if he will have more than the $250k/$500k in capital gain and avoiding taxation is his No 1 priority, it is still an option.

Leverage seems to be a key ingredient of real estate; however, this creates a taxable income (unrelated taxable business income) in an investment vehicle that has an otherwise tax-free environment. 

Depending on how much time is left in your assignment here, the simplest and easiest way is to buy a home near your installation that you will enjoy living in and then rent it when you leave.

Communication is the simplest skill and the most over looked in about any endeavor.

You broke the Method down in its simplest form and step 2 was where I needed help. 

This would be the simplest and the most beneficial approach, by far.

In another life (well, really only 5 years ago), I owned a food cart where we sourced the vast majority of ingredients from local farms. 

The simplest way to start would be house hacking since you only have $10K but it’s super easy to tell someone that when you don’t have to live it yourself.

If the LLC has the cash to pay for the homes that is the simplest.