It would probably set us back 6 to 9 months on putting $30k down on a rental property and we'd also lose the investing experience.. starting 6 to 9 months later.Or.. should I just use the money at 20% down to acquire our first buy and hold since 2007?

You wouldn't have any liability for the loan, but would lose whatever money you put into it.  

Find out what your "get out" period is without losing your deposit.

For every one that goes head first over their head and makes it, there are a hundred that lose their shirt.

In both cases; car and house, the bank has an "insurable interest" which means they care just as much as you do (or maybe more) about the asset being protected as they have something to lose if something were to happen.

if you have to rent for $1500 it looks like you will be losing $7 a month.

Personally I wouldn't mind losing a little bit of money for the first year for a property that will make 1.5% for the following ten years.

I'm not 100% sure of the numbers, but believe that at top the post might lose a net 4000 Soldiers over the next four years. 

Once the water goes into the pond you lose any rights to it. 

I really don't want to lose my downstairs tenants who pay more for a bigger/nicer space.