A bridge loan is a form of short-term financing that helps you “bridge” the financial gap between selling your current home and buying a new home.

The intent is to see if people have lowered their expectations for returns based on the current market.

I'm a new investor in buy and hold RE. 

I'm buying a property directly from the owner. 

That said, long-term the appreciation you get in the Puget Sound region is superior to many other markets, so assuming you find an excellent property management company that is able to screen tenants and only put in very well qualified, vetted occupants and you experience limited issues over the holding period, you'd likely come out ahead retaining the Mill Creek property if your financially able to do so and still buy wherever you are headed out of state.

Sometimes, starting out, I see people focusing on LLCs instead of deals, which just sounds like the case for you (but I'm just saying!).

I'm considering lease with a 5 yr or 10 yr contract with a option to buy.

I've been doing some research on buying first rental property in Port St Lucie Area. 

My plan was to put down 35% while she would cover the remaining 65%.However, the seller has requested to be in escrow for 45-60 days so that he can complete a 1031 exchange and use the proceeds to buy another house within that period.

Use this to your advantage by identifying potential investment properties, such as undervalued homes or areas with strong rental demand.Start with a Clear Strategy: Whether you're interested in flipping properties, buy-and-hold, or rental properties, having a clear strategy will help guide your decisions and keep you focused.