My husband was with the military, and we have a lot of military friends who just buy wherever they ago (each duty station is only around 2-3 yr) and they end up accumulating a lot of wealth/equity. 

It's a beautiful property with a pool, picnic benches, and grill stations,  on 1/2 acre in a great part of town.The appraisal shows that with the value I've added, there is significant equity growth.The issue is that I am having a difficult time finding a lender who will help me REFI out of my hard money loan.

Army Soldier currently stationed in JBLM.

I don't know about you, but in 30 years I'd rather be sitting on a million-dollar asset that I own free and clear (because someone else paid it off for me) that is generating multiple, multiple times the rent I was collecting when I first acquired it and in which I can fill a vacancy with a qualified tenant within two weeks because the area is so desirable that it can't keep up with housing demand than on some boondocks asset that I only purchased because it was the cheapest thing around and "cash flowed" $200 per month on paper but barely appreciated over the years and whose rent appreciation has marginally kept up with inflation and takes me three months to fill a vacancy with a "qualified" tenant who even then might get behind on rent because his hours were cut at the gas station 30 miles away (true story; my tenant worked at a gas station in Boron--only job he could find).Personally, I'm keeping my 4-unit in Santa Clarita and investing in development deals and notes until an incredible off-market deal lands in my lap (keep dreaming, Logan) or the SoCal market cools.  

I'm also in the Air Force stationed in the area, and I've been here for about 5 years, so my wife and I are pretty familiar with the market by now.

RUSH & HAVE SECURITY CAMERAS STATIONED AS MANY PLACES AS POSSIBLE EVEN IF OUTSIDE A NEARBY BUT indirect NEIGHBORS

We sold that house and used the proceeds at our next duty station to by a home and turn the garage into a rental studio apartment. 

Regarding The Hill, I've scoped out a few off-market deals with my agent that are either close to that Union Ave train station, or in more walkable sections ex. close to Yale NH Medical, etc.

@Nate Powley  Hi Nate,  I'd suggest the good 'deals' in UT market left the station several years ago, but that would not be helpful. 

With a grocery store within walking distance, easy access to the highway and train station, a nearby Home Depot, and ongoing renovations and new developments in the area, it felt like a no-brainer.