When making offers with a VA loan in a competitive market, offer 5k earnest money that will be returned at closing which then gives you skin in the game so you can't walk away which is why many sellers don't like the zero down aspect.Connect with my friend @Joel Allen.

He should be able to provide you with far better advice then some random name on a forum who has no skin in the game.  

Hi Ben,A brewery huh...You probably have something else in mind. but when you say Fort Collins BreweryI envision a Brewery/public bar with the bar having 12 foot high ceiling to floor windows on one side (on the side of a mountain) with a long expansive unobstructed view of the lower lands below.With a 40 foot deep deck on piles with chairs and tables outside in front of the large windows.And inside chairs and tables plus 6 premium raised up horseshoe booths that go for $20 extra just to sit there and enjoy the view--and buy alcohol and food.The bar serves high quality skin on hot dogs, fries cooked in beef tallow, pizza with  ton of cheese on it, high quality fried cheese sticks, and hot wings.The interior color scheme is dark brown wood and burgundy Naugahyde with nail trim.With some salt blocks put out to attract Elk to the area.There is a large steel building on the property with it's own parking lot for rental for wedding receptions, which includes a bar (due to the liquor licence)It also has a nice view and flowery repose area for wedding pics with the beautiful view as a background.Customer base not aimed at the College level (animal House crowd), but a nice place, a destination, that if someone is going to visit Ft.Collins--this is "THE" place to visit (and spend money at).But with Covid...public gathering places...hmmmm .... hmmmmm(???)

@Peter Wellman On the surface there are so many different variables to consider such as: rent vs. buy, wait 6 months vs. act now, VA loan vs. conventional, buy primary residence vs. buy investment property, etc... 

Someone was a wolf in lamb skin, talked you into a bad deal? 

Getting rid of carpet is cheaper in the long run.Solid surface stairs are not slippery in themselves. 

The lender has provided a creative approach to provide you with adequate liquidity, ensuring your partner has skin in the game, since he’s on the DOT, but not on the mortgage.There’s nothing wrong or illegal going on here.  

Where is your skin-in-the-game?

Although it takes time to absorb through the skin, any open wounds would make it dangerous.

The trouble is, she doesn't want to move there anymore by herself and would like to maybe buy a single family in Milwaukee instead and wants to free up her financing to make a move on something locally this year.I don't have any skin in the game on this anymore, except knowing that we put so much effort and time and creativity into finding this deal (and it is by far the best one we'd ever analyzed).