Unfortunately experience means you've made some costly mistakes :-) So, to avoid those costly mistakes, when I take on a new approach in investing, I buddy up with someone that already has experience doing them.

Have you explored taking a heloc on the current residence?

Our current plan is to purchase our first home and live in it for 2-4 years before moving to a new home and using this first property as a rental, so my fiance and I are currently in the market for a home that we could use as our residence during the offseason and then use as a short term rental or something like that while we are away for 6-7 months.

Quote from @Kevin Gamboa: Investment Info:Single-family residence buy & hold investment in Las Vegas.

My buddy fixed up homes and rented.  

Account Closed that's not the case as long as you live in it as your primary residence for 12 months.

Consider transaction costs as well as losing the principle residence exclusion.

You could buy a home for a primary residence, rehab it, and then sell it after living in it for 2 years as your primary residence. 

https://www.biggerpockets.com/...The real threshold questions are: do you have Japanese permanent residency? 

Hi Michael, appreciate your honesty in your post What Area are you currently residing?