What other investment strategies are you looking into? 

We've utilized the VA loan for our current home, and this strategy has worked well so far.

However, unless you're doing this as part of a BRRRR strategy, you may end up paying closing costs twice and incurring unnecessary interest on the HELOC prior to refinancing.Additionally, conventional loans often have seasoning requirements of 6-12 months, while DSCR loans typically require only 3-6 months.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

@Collin Hays@Jon Martini agree that tax considerations shouldn't, by themselves, drive business strategy. 

Dou your work on the education so that you can have a firm strategy to get started.  

I’d also appreciate any general advice on renting out a property.Thank you so much in advance for your help!

What other kinds of loans or financing strategies are available that don't involve using too much of your own cash?

House-hacking in a multi-family unit is one strategy I wish I had been aware of when I chose to purchase my first property.

Thank you in advance to everyone who read this, and moreso to those who respond with their thoughts. 

Also, have you considered a specific investment strategy (e.g. rentals, fix & flips)?