2) What protective measures should I consider as a buyer in a seller-financed deal to ensure the offer is as efficient as possible?

Do I need to have the total amount in IRA to cover the house plus her asking equity to do the self-directed or is there a loan option offered by IRA that I can tap into?

I keep wondering about insurance, vacancy rates, if tenant selection is a bigger/ different factor, terms of the tenancy and differences in opex and capex? 

Like most, I have the lists and means to reach the struggling person who I have identified desperately needs my help and without question I believe I offer a solution. 

I'm just making about $250 net each month off of $1900/month rent (about $1,450 total for mortgage, insurance, taxes, etc.) , but appreciation has helped, the tenant is great, I have a property manager. 

The new investment earns $24,000 a year, but the cost of the mortgage + the equity loan will be $22,332—and that’s before you account for taxes, insurance, maintenance, capital expenditures, vacancies, etc.

What I’m hoping to do is use the rest of my remaining VA Loan entitlement (roughly 450k) to get pre approved and put an offer on a primary residence in Tampa/St.

I could get you offers on any properties you may have or looking to flip to a builder.

We have actually had multiple offers on a few of our rentals with one going $200 over list and that was listed $700 over 3 years ago.

Scheherazarde,If you are correctly permitted, you will have to decide between offering by the room or whole house.