I would not touch Denver county with a 10 foot pole because of all the regulations they have in place. 

Id like to understand what the most profitable way to fix up a current 1,700 SFR in a 6,200 sq. foot lot would be?

Now that I dont fly anymore  I dont think I will ever set foot in that area its just way to far to drive. and personally not a big fan of the Oregon coast  unless  its Tillamook bay to fish for Salmon and Steelhead in the rivers that feed the bay .. thats the only time we go to the coast.. my wife was born and raised on Puget Island in the Columbia river ( Cathlamet) so she wants a summer home there on the island you can get river frontage and nice sandy beach and watch the big ships roll by.. 

That way, you can get your foot in the door, start building equity, and stay at home a bit longer to save more money.You could also consider the BRRRR method where you buy a fixer-upper, rehab it to add value, rent it out, and then refinance to pull your cash back out.

This being said, I don't believe we'll be able to meet the income requirements to qualify for a conventional.This leads me to believe hard money or private lender is more the only option to get my foot in the door, use my business to make repairs at very good rates, build some equity then refi once the balloon is due. 

However, in private financing it is customary for the borrower to foot those costs.You can find each institution's registered account and arm's-length mortgage guidelines, and fees on their respective websites.

You can go as low as 2.5x in some cases but NJ tends to produce enough traffic/applicants where 3x should be minimum unless property is over priced.

Note: We do 50+ investment property loans a month and the most important thing I tell BUYERS of properties being sold as or soon to be STR is make sure you are paying the market price per square foot and do NOT buy based on income approach/CAP rate.

A straightforward way to estimate value is by looking at the price per square foot and using that to calculate your property's worth.In situations like this, it's worth spending a couple of hours yourself to get a solid understanding of the market.

If you are trying to come up with a way to finagle the occupancy requirements while using an amazing loan (that you earned based on your service) like a VA, I would say you are starting off on the wrong foot.