Such a property is a commodity, and in the next downturn, it will behave like one.  

Going to be having our first rental soon and trying to get all of the processes in place.

@Omar WilliamsYou may be having a Net Worth problem.After trying to use your equity as a DP, you have just reduced your worth.

In my area, properties up to a fourplex behaves very similarly as a SFR.

There should be have been a Notice of Default and Opportunity to Cure on whatever date the late charge attached for the first month’s rent.

VA loans are a fantastic option for veterans, and you're absolutely right that more agents should be well-versed in them but not all agents are created equal.When it comes to making your offer more appealing, I usually am educating the listing agent and the seller about the advantages of VA loans and how they are not as bad as they used to be. Having

Students tend to be problematic, not all, but if a lease state that the landlord can kick them off in the middle of the semester, I don't think that many parents wants to sign that deal, because they don't know how other people will behave, plus is very hard to find any apartments of rooms in the middle of a semester class...  

A description of the issue internals needing replacement: This one is hard to describe but it behaves as if the tank has less water than it should even though the tank is full. 

Bonus would be have extra room for family members down the road if we decided not to rent it out.

If you're in it for the long run...which most investors are, or should be... having their investments in great areas, near excellent employers, with stable tenants would represent a lower risk, not just better appreciation.