My 2 pennies on the matter is that you may want to consider a Monopoly-like move and transition from green houses to red hotels (houses to apartments) down the line.

My investment property is smooth sailing there but i wasn't sure if this was a solo experience.... so it's really nice to hear your perspective :)

Do a conventional and don't bother with an LLC. you'll either do this and it'll go smooth or you'll do it your way and kick yourself later.  

They do, however, require careful advanced planning and structuring to ensure a smooth 1031 Exchange transaction.  

It's been pretty smooth sailing thus far, I pay them 10% of monthly rent and I've had no headaches, but now the first major issue has popped up and I feel like they aren't handling it correctly:On Tuesday, September 8th I receive a text from my property manager that the A/C isn't working on the ground floor of the property.

Two years ago I purchased a home on a VA loan with 0 down.Recently, IRRRL'd my primary residence (single family home) to reduce rate from 4.5% to 2.25% with the intention to transition this property to a rental property when I purchase another property in ~9 months. 

It makes it easier to onboard new properties, maximize profitability, and run things smoothly.

I hope it all goes according to plan and runs smoothly.

I manage 4 single family homes and so far all has been pretty smooth after a my first year. 

Lines of Credit then transitioned into a mortgage How did you add value to the deal?