You need to have sources (agents, wholesalers, GCs) that bring you opportunity that they have mined and they are bringing it to you cause they know you buy.To the vendors of the industry: Agents, Wholesalers, GCs, PMs, what have you...you are nothing until you buy something, until then you are window shopping. 

This has caused me to have trouble with getting approved for loans/mortgages due to my work gap.

Good Cause Eviction, the 2019 TPA, the history of moratoriums, and the clean slate act sealing criminal records and other offenses. 

Cameras, security system, motion lights, cage lock on hvac, etc.They were stolen cause it was vacant and had a for sale sign.   

Many variables seem to be the cause of this to include house price, property taxes, interest rates, etc.I really want to utilize my VA loan for MF properties & live in one portion and rent the others.

So I wont say not to buy cause I have and it has paid well but getting anything appraised is PAINFUL.

Real Estate Market Predictions for 2025Single-Family Homes: Prices will likely remain flat due to homeowners holding onto low-interest-rate loans, causing fewer properties to hit the market.

Obviously holidays can cause a delay.  

Wood has a huge variability in strength--between pine varieties, the stress which can cause them to fail varies by more than 2x and you can see 20%+ increase in strength as it ages.Then I have stress concentrations which will yield and then redistribute the load in practice, but not according to the calculations I'm allowed to do. 

I'd be surprised if there was anything substantially more than this that took place, and I'd be shocked if it caused anything to change for 2025, only 2026 onwards (for major things that is).Which is exactly what I call guessing  ;)