I already own and rent out 1 house, a 300K, 4 bed 2.5 bath generating about 1900/mo @ $220 "profit" (nowhere near the 1% rule)  - I rented this house purely as a means to purchase a better home, and as a necessity to forgo a contingency when buying.....Fast forward to now, with my 401K proceeds, this summer I bought 2 more homes, here is the breakdown;Home #2 ,  a 1947 Puyallup home,  3bd/1ba nicely completely remodeled w a Olympic mtn view and close to everything , Paid 250K w 20% down, payment ~$1300 @ $1850/mo $550 profit (not 1%)Home #3, A 1908 Tacoma House w peekaboo ocean view, 3bd, 1ba remodeled in a gentrifying area, paid 185K w 25% down - payment $950, rented @ $1750/mo $800 profit (not 1% either)both houses were long term flips by the seller and I bought them turn key, The market here is red hot and I was lucky to get each house, most everything on my interest list sells within 1 to 5 days, I go in with the down payment and waive inspection to get the deal. 

The Post Office sans everything and if the barcode is there is may just come back to you (kinda like the Elvis song)

You get to brag to other people and sing cool songs like "I've...got...homes.....I've got hoooooooomes.  

Which forced me to bring cash to the table $100k worth, just to take out my hard money lender lest I get foreclosed upon by them for going beyond term.2.)

But yes with financing, there is a little song and dance that you and the realtors must do: basically you can have everything in the unit EXCEPT a stove!

@Joe Cummings What a great song, exactly !!  

I’m also for going over their head and filing with the real estate commission.  

Selling the home can mean that its going to sit vacant for a while forgoing opportunity cost.

Also: My fear is that, in order to do so, I would have to forgo the VA loan and go with a commercial product.

He give a great step by step plan for going from broke to becoming financially free.