Is it simply that most off market deals require cash?

You are simply replacing your current loan with a new loan, and the difference (after closing expenses) is what you receive at closing.

@Ben Nelson mentioned the sage wisdom of correctly setting team members, that is a whole lot harder today because things are at such a level with so many factors at play and fact is the vast majority simply do not have the resource pool to have a truly well equipped internal team or knowledge base, it is a very small number of us who do. 

Refinancing the duplex might make sense simply because I'd have it under a non-VA loan and could then go buy a new second home using another VA loan.

You won't be able to simply look on zillow and find a house in atlanta you'll be able to BRRRR and cash flow on while getting anything close to 100% of your money back out on a refinance.

Prior to reading this book, I'd simply use the "% of rents" strategy, which I always found to be a little inaccurate because it's based on averages, and what rental property is "average", right? 

@Alphonso Fletcher- You could pay many thousands of dollars for a consulting service, or you could simply use what's available on this website. 

I would simply make a plan for if you had to pay taxes and penalties and if you can still make it work if that happens than do it.

Assuming you occupy one of the units, the costs associated with your unit are not expensed or depreciated at all…they simply raise your cost basis for gain calculations when you sell. 

If so, as John said, you can do fine by simply making sure you have an adequate personal umbrella policy.