Once there is enough equity, you can refinance it on a DSCR or Conventional loan so you can use your VA entitlement again to purchase your SFR.

Get those young healthcare professionals butts in seats for an "informal first-time homebuyer Q&A" with you and a local lender that has some FTHB goodies (and maybe you offer some healthcare professional goodies, like paying for a home warranty plus a $1k credit towards closing costs - only for folks attending your Q&A).

As folks are telling you it is hard to say since it all depends on what you need to do.

Ignore the folks telling you to wait 2 years to avoid capital gains.

We've had reports of folks waiting hours each day just to receive a pass to enter residential streets, which is enormously frustrating when our sole priority is helping the community rebuild as quickly as possible.As for your comment about finding excuses already not to cover something, can you send me an email directly or a DM on that?

This is very uncommon, though I see folks posting about HELOANs for investment property.  

I think you're probably best leaving your IRA alone for all the reasons folks mentioned.

What often happens is folks move in, find that they can't afford the actual rent and then move out the next year. 

I'm going to try and see if any of the long term neighbors want to do it, lots of pre-gentrification folks still here who might be happy to.

And there are a couple of folks in town who are suggesting using installment contracts as workaround, as well.