However the tenant is telling me they have personal issue and wants to move out of the lease or asking me options to break the contract. 

And what I am personally seeing the Market place today.Commercial bank/ community bank were you have significant deposit relationship and long term relation ship..   7 to 10% plus 1/2 to 1.5 points.. these are relationship and experience and capacity lenders..

I'm going to talk to customer support with both companies again, but thought I'd check on any thoughts from those who might have had personal experience with either company or changing programs in general.

I'll be around this weekend if you want to meetup and talk in person while you pass through. 

The VA loan assumption can be done by a non-va buyer, as long as that person selling does not use their VA loan benefits on their next purchase.

If you're going to manage a GC, make sure to meet them in person and avoid paying for the entire job upfront (typically for smaller jobs, you will pay half upfront, and half at the end). 

Do not even consider a large apartment building with only your equity.

however for one living in CA I do like Vegas personally ( I have invested there) as I have invested in over 20 states.. what I like about Vegas is the age of the homes you would buy at 500 to 1 mil.. no really nasty weather that adds to differed maintenance..

If it is under $100K, it is going to be hard for a person to get a mortgage. 

I know that, overwhelmingly, it's what you fill your head with that counts, it's the day-to-day actions you take, it's the spouse you marry, it's the systematic choices you make, and perhaps most importantly, the personal hypocrisy you don't allow yourself to get away with.