The lender I was working with said that they couldn't count my rental income when determining the mortgage amount I would be eligible for. 

Essentially, that means there is no personal guarantee from the partner or a disqualified party to their IRA.There are many lenders out there that will put together a package and cross-collateralize several properties into one loan.  

Fingers crossed.

I like to cross reference with a crime map when I am looking for a house.

Hi Monica, Yes, they usually do allow you to purchase up to 4 units owner occupied, although I'm not as familiar with VA, I know that FHA does and I believe they count a % of the rent towards your monthly income which is what allows you to purchase more property.

Make sure once you are the winning bidder of an auction that the property owner has been served proper notice so that your time counts. 

Hi @Michael Perez,Unfortunately, VA loan limits do not scale up with unit count like Fannie/Freddie/FHA:The good news is that you can go over those limits (& your remaining entitlement) with 25% down on the difference. 

I am just extremely conservative with my numbers and I never count on appreciation, ever.  

You can count on up to $1K savings for mid-priced SFR in Cumberland County just in taxes.

They suggested 85 cents on the dollar.So, let's say they spend $100k on the building improvements (furniture, equipment not included).They want that to count as $85k toward the purchase of the building at that future improved value.So future value could be established as 420k + 100k = $520k.50% ownership would cost $260k, minus their credit of $85k = They would contribute $175k cash to obtain 50%.Is 85% credit the right number?