In my opinion, good sponsors communicate regularly (and at a minimum are sending yearly financials and quarterly updates). 

Switched from Stessa to REI Hub and love it, as do all the other owners I have referred there.

If you need references for either of them in San Diego, let me know.

Some regular overnight guests and some were people who stayed with me from anywhere from 20 nights in a row to a couple of 6-9 month stays.

If you do end up going the regular rental route and want to self manage, check out evict.com which is one of the premier landlord/tenant attornies in the country.

There is likely a phone number and persons name that will come up, that you can reference, since he is having bills that arrive to the mailbox and packages to the door with his name on them.You could make it a pre-condition to the seller that he allow a background check on the tenant before closing and your offer is contingent on your approval.Neighbors typically know what's going on in the neighborhood and will know who the guy is and if he is a trouble maker.He probably has a car and a private detective can run the plates.And so on.The information is readily available is the knowledge is worth knowing.

My regular pest guy didnt do termites, few in our area do. 

You can if you want, but if this loan is from a well known, licensed, reputable lender, then its similar to getting regular mortgage.

Has anyone referred to the terms of the lease?

I am not in Military so my knowledge of Va is limited based off how long you have to live there, if you can refinance into regular loan later on once you have some equity etc.