I am told that because it's vested in an LLC, my options are limited and if this investment property was in my personal name, I would be able to get a second mortgage on my investment property.  

How does one actually raise money from individuals with such high limits of accreditation if you don't personally know wealthy people or real estate investors? 

It's not necessarily that you're considered a riskier borrower per se, it'll depend on whether that STR is reported to your personal credit and included in your DTI and/or whether you need to count the income from the STR to qualify for the primary residence.

Your criteria look good for finding properties with solid equity and motivated sellers.

However, this recommendation could change based on specific interest rates, your personal financial situation, and long-term goals.

The small gestures of exceeding expectations can make a huge difference.Don't be the person who can't fulfill their promises.

If he were no longer on the note it would be a different story.As for what @Kevin Sobilo said, perhaps he's right that they could request a court order to foreclose on SCRA protected person, but it's been almost 3 years and they haven't done that either.

I have a pretty solid sub-to deal that I can put under contract, but I'd prefer to assign it rather than take it down myself.

Personally, I've been looking into more fixer-uppers and value-add opportunities where the initial purchase price is lower, and the potential for appreciation is significant.

In the pre-foreclosure phase the ONLY person you can talk to is the owner of the property.