A few years ago I got caught with a number of housing units I built in Philadelphia I planned to sell to owner occupants if not for the  2022 unexpected rate increases.

The negotiations were tough because after we opened escrow we realized it had five different owners with five different titles.

Allegedly they were scammed by a fake landlord posing as property owner. 

It sounds like you will be a successful owner which is amazing! 

While we were in escrow, the title company discovered that the owner didn't disclose a second mortgage on the house to neither her agent nor the title company, her plan was trying to dismiss the foreclosure in court and hope this would go away before anyone would find out about it.

They can limit what property owners can do, including house hacking.Even if the city has no restrictions, if legally binding and properly recorded, covenants can enforce rules that supersede local ordinances for those living within the neighborhood.

Build an SMB on top of your real estate (the reverse of #2)Short-term rentals and high owner-participation real estate businesses can have great returns.Obviously not for you if you just want passive RE.We are in the deep end here, where each case should be judged on its own facts and merits by your CPA.You should hire a professional to review your particular situation before you make an investment.

If there is a problematic tenant, I always ask that the property is VACANT @ COE.If the current owner wants to close, they will have it vacant before we issue a clear to close.

I cold emailed and called the owner multiple times and eventually we connected, met in person and made a deal over the course of a few months.How did you finance this deal?

You can get more than one VA loan depending on your allotment and you don't need to owner-occupy the second one so I would look into that first.