Thanks for posting and introducing yourself :)I am an LO for Greenly Mortgage, LLC and we have two specialties: same day pre-approvals AND 14 day closings.

Quote from @Jerry Lo: My wife and I are grooming our single home for rent.

And frankly, I would bet that 95% of all loan officers don't even know about this FHA guideline either, especially the call center LO's that were working at Best Buy 6 months ago, and they will be back there soon the way rates are going up.So unless you make enough money to carry the expense of BOTH properties and other liabilities, with only your military income and the rental income from the other units of the 2nd property you are purchasing, then procedurally you should do it in this order.

I ha lve over 100 now, so the bad gets absorbed into the good so lo g as you run things right and don't get greedy or rents or stingy on rehab/maintenace. 

That said single state single lo buyer probably not going to be able to work with the highest quality providers, and given where rates are and then number of lenders pursuing a refi market that just shrunk by 80 percent I would probably focus on purchase leads. 

Many LOs are licensed in 1 or 2 states, but if you find an LO who is licensed in multiple states on the West coast or elsewhere that can be a great person to work with as you are deciding which market to jump into.

@Kenneth Gore the worst part is, many LO's don't even truly understand what a VA loan can do! 

My write-in option would combine a lower monthly PITIPMI with two other key benefits:  30-year mortgages are a BEAUTIFUL hedge against inflation, which is coming and lo is already here. 

Wanted to insure our L/O tenant they were buying a good house.

LO with rent credits give equity = down payment.