Lots of our time is allotted to producing strategic video content that allows us to find the people or properties we are looking for.

If you are being allotted BAH then you have an additional amount of money coming in, that doesn't justify buying anything but your numbers crunching should consider the military is paying you an allowance for housing and they expect you to live off base either renting or owning and show up to work on time.

For example, could someone take out the max, which I believe is 50k and put it towards RE and pay it off in the allotted time without going the Self directed route?

There are not allot of duplexes in the campus area but if you can deal with college kids around you it might work out well.

Big PM's have lots of over head so there's probably one guy making allot of money and a bunch of minions working for $15/hour rifling through your tenants stuff.A small guy starting out I think you really need to self manage, hiring a PM you are just looking to get taken advantage of.

First, Last and security is allot to ask for. 

You can spend allot of time looking for properties that just won't cash flow. 

I have run calculations and I could do allot with the $5000 as part of the rehab budget and since I have an investment money cost I have to worry about, it is close to a $6000 difference.I guess the question is, should I hold firm to the budget numbers and risk not getting the property or is it better to grab it and find other ways to save the difference?  

Just make sure you send them an itemized "Security Dispensation" Letter within whatever the allotted timeframe is for your area. 

If an expense and schedule isn't allotted for it then something else takes up the space.