Then when you move to MA you can purchase your primary residence with the VA loan (ideally a multifamily property) and your extra cash you can use to invest.Best of luck my man and let me know if you have any questions about you VA loan benefits.

We have our loans fully serviced and sometimes I wonder if it's worth the extra money we pay since the servicer's loss mitgation efforts varied from extremely poor to average.

He gets a few extra bucks - $1000 -$5000 depending on market .

This specific home was built in 1887, in the city of chicago.I just pulled the permit history, the only permit issued it seems was for an “emergency wreck, and remove a 2 story frame residence.”

You say you want the house to 'pop' but if you are in a market that is hot (you say houses are selling for more than the asking price) it is possible just updating it, not making it extra special, will be enough.

I assume there were permits for the build, did your guy have you pull them or did he pull them under his company name? 

Tried the same - Oakland is super strict - I have decided to add an extra bath and extra room to each unit of the duplex.

No extra profit needed.

However, it can legally be used as a bedroom/extra room for the main house.

We're wondering if anyone knows an architect who's familiar with the process who can help walk us through the permitting process (we've done extensive renovations in the past, but never in this county).Also, would love to hear any pearls of wisdom from anyone who's renovated in SF (including working through the permitting process, anything you wish you knew before you started, regulations that are unique to SF, etc.)