I always loved having an HELOC on my primary residence as the answer for me. 

Investment Info:Single-family residence fix & flip investment.

To the nuts and bolt question of what defines occupancy, it is the place you reside and spend the majority of your time/nights.

Investment Info:Single-family residence other investment.

@Bobby Short Depending on the equity you have on your primary residence you might be able to find a lender to finance the property in CR with your primary residence as collateral.

Best advice to you would be to use that VA loan as many times as you can and buy primary residences for a year, rent them out and then buy something else with the VA!

Your income isn't high enough for it to make sense as a rental and the closer you get to your residence limit the greater pressure you will have to sell it before losing your exclusion in whole or part. 500k right now can make $15k per year income with zero maintenance or tenant risks. 

It is also possible that either the folks in charge of the station, or the prosecutor have set a policy of not wanting to pursue non violent crimes, or even not paying attention to crimes against folks who are not local residents. 

And the first thing that came up when Googling the subject was Dodd and Frank, which requires RMLO if you originate more than 3 loans per year to a real estate buyer who will be residing in the property (Dodd Frank does not apply to commercial transactions, rental properties/duplexes and etc. among others).I know successful people who did this for a decade or decades.

The property either has to be zoned a commercialZoning or - you have to own both HPR parcels and have one be a primary residence .