The VA loan is a great benefit and if used effectively can get your RE investing off to a very good start.Suggestions:Use the VA loan to house hack a duplex to quad.Refer to yourself as the Property Manager and not the owner.Live in the unit that can best benefit from a rehab. 

I will be self managing this as my first investment to gain experience.

And that's if you don't also get tagged with self employment. 

What have y'all found to be effective? 

I used to self manage everything and I cannot even imagine doing that again.

(C) Subsection (B) does not preclude an action against an owner of real estate who makes intentional misrepresentations in response to direct inquiry from a purchaser or prospective purchaser with regard to psychological effects or stigmas associated with the real estate.HISTORY: 2002 Act No. 336, Section 2.But like @Nathan G. said, they'll probably find out anyway.

This lowers your effective interest rate.

The other reason is that it makes it a little easier to self manage......as far as the tenant is concerned, I'm the manager and a company owns the property. 

SCENARIO: Borrower calls me from my website after doing an internet search on Stated Income ALT loan programs for Self Employed borrowers.  

I think either option result has little effect on the retail market as a whole, it will be relatively isolated to the under $100k market (Milwaukee specific).