Swiss is what the wholesalers were using, but that's a whole different ball game.  

If there are no comps then you would have to rely on quotes you get from General Building Contractors to give you a cost per square foot to build at that location But without actually building plans designed and stamped by an architect and structural engineer you may not be able to get exact figures but a ball park figure at best.

I’ve recently got the ball rolling to try an upscale from a one bedroom co-op unit into a multi-family property.

Or you think I should just get the ball rolling and get preapproved with a conventional?

This might sound like playing hard ball, but you need to cover your butt and do things by the letter of the law.

Once you have used your VA loan to house hack and still want to buy more rental properties, you could utilize a 10% down, no MI on a portfolio loan OOS in the mid to high 3s for a 1-4 unit property to get the ball rolling after your first house hack.

In the AZ market, if you wanted to buy something as a straight up rental NOO, you could still do 10% down, no MI on a portfolio loan in the mid to high 3s for a 1-4 unit property to get the ball rolling after your first house hack.

I also what to get the ball rolling and start one rental property and I am not sure what options I will have after buying our home first. 

Personally, I expect I will get a lot more hammered in the stock market (which is heavily manipulated, in comparison) in the coming years than in the syndication space, but none of us has a crystal ball.

Fall/Winter 2022 , though no-one has a crystal ball.