It doesn't sounds like that's your plan, but it looks like you're planning on 5% down at 4.5% and $0 for initial repair and improvement, which sounds a lot like and FHA or 203K loan to me.

With that being said, i known some people are doing work-arounds because I have never heard of the VA 11aAdditionally, the VA will want to know how this new residence is an improvement from your current home, i.e. bigger yard, larger house, better schools, closer work commute, etc.

I'm looking to learn much more about improvements in order to pursue fixer uppers.

It would be illegal if you provided fake receipts for improvements, misrepresented, lied to lender,etc.

I think the last comment on the post was from @Charles Ford regarding the Home Improvement Contracting License at DCRA.

I welcome any advice on education or how to improve my processes.

There was so much water that it seeped all the way over to our side of the basement (it only houses our oil tank and furnace and is accessed through the outside so we don't go down there much in the summer and didn't know it was wet). 

It is currently raw land with no improvements. 

Cost per sq ft for a project for improvements is hard to manipulate because labor and construction costs are up.

My advice is fix it up as much as you can with as little money as you can (clean, repair, do yard work, make lipstick improvements, paint but don't paint yourself into another corner haha) and get out of this deal as soon as possible.