Brendan, the VA loan can be a powerful tool in your investing career especially as you continue to PCS around the country.

I bought a place and the seller had to put in a new septic field, rest of it was fine.

A lot of them will only point you in the "right direction" and have you consult with a licensed professional in that field (ie. structural engineer, licensed electrician, plumber etc) if there are any concerns. 

However it’s hard to get that ball rolling without any deals under my belt even though I do have experience with managing a syndication and property management through my professional career. 

I don't have any debt and I don't have kids or much going on outside of my 9-5 career. 

Dallas-Fort Worth is a smart choice, man the growth there is off the charts, and there’s plenty of room for first-timers with the drive to go all-in.I remember helping a buddy of mine who was in a similar boat to you, he was switching from a totally different career and diving into real estate.

This experience will a tremendous value to you and your investing career!

You can outfit as a full unit and still have two separate tenants per say but a master lease would provide the most protection to you when fielding applicants use MA housing court data base to run applicants through to see if they have any prior housing court claims

Establish long-term relationships with them.My career has been a wild ride of experiences and oh-so-valuable lessons.

The real question is why do you want to start your investment career learning from afar and trusting others to hold the bag for you?