I am thinking it would be best to assign the benefit to my husband and I as the buyer. 

The way it's marketed, you're supposed to make money in four ways: cash flow, capital gains, amortization and tax benefits.

I'm a newbie, so this question may have been asked and answered multiple times.Has anyone used their VA home loan benefit to purchase a 2nd property, move into this 2nd property as their "primary" residence and rent out the 1st?

I am trying to decide if this is a worthwhile endeavor.From what I have read, the main benefit is early access to MLS for purchasing homes and saving on commission costs while selling homes.This leads to two questions: - Is simply having early access to new listings worth $600, or is it only worthwhile if I plan on flipping and selling a property on my own?

With rental properties (assuming your using leverage), you receive the benefits of increasing equity (forced savings via mortgage reduction), ability to lend against the asset, tax benefits, depreciation, cash flow, and possible appreciation to name a few. 

Also, you would then get to experience 2x the appreciation, and 2x the loan paydown benefits. 

After the renovation is complete and you're renting the unit, not having to worry about tracking physical keys is a super convenient perk for residents/guests, and also has the added benefit of minimizing the amount of lockouts and other headaches you'll potentially have to deal with later on down the road. 

Is there any benefit from local companies?

An additional benefit of a detailed engineering-based Cost Segregation Study is that it can increase potential insurance premium savings as well as provides support for the property tax appeals process.Additionally, it can help maximize renovations and improvements.A Cost Segregation study is an IRS approved federal income tax tool that increases near term cash flow by utilizing shorter recovery periods for depreciation to accelerate return on investment.

You will be house hacking and benefiting from your primary loans.