Here is my plan: - Purchase a distressed SFH using a conventional loan (5% down)- Live in that property for 6-12 months while rehabbing it- Cash our refinance - Purchase another SFH as my new primary residence and plan to live there for 3-5 years- Rent out the initial SFH and cashflow a reasonable amount - Continue to save money from working + build equity in the initial SFH- Leverage a 1031 exchange to sell the initial SFH for a distressed multi-family property (using my own savings to supplement the down payment)- BRRRR that multi-family property and keep repeating from there Here are my questions:1) Would I be better off forgoing the two SFHs altogether, and continuing to rent an apartment until I have enough money saved up to buy a multi-family property as my first investment? 

Year 2.5 Refinance into a conventional loan and use my VA loan on another property and repeat until I have 5 properties or the VA says they have had enough of me. 

That I should go for a 5% conventional loan.

@Brad Hammond we can also refinance to get rid of the PMI to a conventional loan correct?

The other half were conventional and cash.

Depending on which type of loan you're using (FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional, etc.) will depend on how much seller's assist you're allowed to receive.  

With 50k, you'd have enough to put towards a down payment on a conventional loan or even hard money and then could use the rest towards the rehab.

The first 18 months were paid directly to the owner then we used conventional financing with 25% down - funds from Roth IRA and Heloc on primary residence.

Conventional fannie/freddie loans or portfolio loans.

What lender(s) would you suggest if using a FHA loan or conventional loan?