I’ve also taken out short term loans (1-5 years) to use as my 25% down payments.

I never make a loan, no matter the equity position, that the past actions of the borrowers lead me to wonder if they will be likely to pay me back. 

@Drew Sygit Cool thanks I'll look into DSR loans! 

They are bought either with SHORT term high interest (hard money) type loans or purchased in cash.

My guess is if you can make the interest rates work, there will be dozens of these available in about 2-3 years when the loans start maturing.Good luck and best wishes. 

Quote from @Caleb Brown: Is the property worth the higher price to pay off the loans?

So I'm strongly considering adding a handful of these to my buy & hold portfolio.I understand that there's no "risk-free" method to acquiring these properties subto, but have any of you had success over the long-term acquiring properties with VA loans attached?

To access your home equity without selling, you can explore options like a home equity loan, a line of credit (HELOC), or a cash-out refinance.

Has anyone used bridge loans for this type of strategy or is there any other loans that anyone would recommend other than HELOC?

Real estate loans are taxed as you pay down the principle, not when you borrow the money.