We keep it professional and try not to get emotional about it.

Your discipline and focus on your financial future are commendable.When it comes to deciding between real estate investing and the stock market, both have their unique advantages, especially when considering the power of compounding interest.

Also this emotional pressure is really common with high pressure sales environments, which is often the case with large wholesaling organizations. 

+95% of agents only have experience dealing with owner-occupied transactions - which are mostly EMOTIONAL decision based.You can ID these types of agents easily by asking them:1) If they are RE investors themselves.

This is the best way to eliminate gut or emotional decision making.

You would need to save 25% of $200k = $50k for each property's downpaymentFind good dealsPayoff your properties The whole journey can be >10 years if you are saving and are disciplined about reinvesting your cash flow. 

We plan to start with short term vacation rentals, in multiple locations around the country, then possibly move into other disciplines from there.We are happy to be here and learn all we can.Aaron

Also, come resale time, the duplex would have a proven track record of producing income and has definable value, whereas a single family home is largely dependent on current market conditions and home buyer emotions and buyer pool at that given time

There are numerous books, podcasts, and online resources available to help you become a more knowledgeable investor.By following these steps and staying disciplined in your approach, you can successfully house hack using your VA loan and build a solid foundation for your real estate investment portfolio.

Document everything sticking to the basic facts, try to leave emotion out of it.