What loan would suit the purchaseIn my early 30s, I often wished my parents had told me to buy a house at 18.

Lennar Mortgage which now offers DSCR loans.

Using private money to pay off the deed then looking into equity loans to rehab and purchase other properties.

I'm assuming you would need to seek a whole new loan?  

Loan Buy Down4.

I also found a bank that would finance that low cost of property as a regular 30 year loan so payments on debt is way low obvious $100 - $120 per unit.

When you go to refinance into a long term loan your personal credit score will 100% matter.

you can do a bank statement program for a 2nd but the easier route would be to do a foreign national DSCR cashout refinance loan 

I am in the final stages of a VA assumption, that was gifted to me by a family member with all its equity.

If you are new new I would do what others have suggested and house hack, buy a 1-4 unit with an FHA loan, live in one, and rent the others, I wish I had done this when I first started.