But I was wondering if it is doable and would love to hear other people's thoughts on howt they would invest in my circumstance. 

They have a firm image in mind of what they want, but a whole set of circumstances that will encourage them to take what they need.

Be a veteran yourselfVA loans are generally for only the veteran, veteran and spouse together or the surviving spouse of a veteran under certain circumstances.

Other than something completely unforeseen and catastrophic there is not fundamental reason for it to crash.

But there could always be specific circumstances where a hold of less than (or more than) a year might be appropriate. 

If so, having cash flow negative assets or assets that one unforeseen expense wipes our years of cash flow is not an investment, it is a monthly bill like your cell phone or utilities.If you are banking on appreciation, that is a different game, and I would be looking at single family flips to get in and out quickly, but there are clearly a lot of risks associated with those as well.

On the other hand, I would agree with where Karl is headed, and that is that there may be some legit extenuating circumstance that has led to this unique position.

Several times a year I will get a deal where I spent 2-3 years following up with a seller before their circumstance warranted selling at my price.- the same follow up principles apply to direct mail as well.

Any unforeseen spending could end up with you leaving money in the property.

In very limited circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agent, and housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members.Is it a SFH you rented without the use of an agent?