Anything up to 4-units still qualifies for a traditional mortgage including a VA loan.

One company owns everything and does nothing (this is your SLLC a/k/a “asset holding company”) and a completely separate company handles all of your operations (this is a traditional LLC a/k/a “operating company”) For the operating company which serves as your face to the world and through which you do all your business, you establish a Traditional LLC to carry out the operations of your investments.

I would't consider this to be a traditional HOA as you have a fairly sizable stake, though you will probably have more restrictions than a S/MFR that you own fully.

On one hand they are similar to traditional banks but on the other they couldn’t be more different.

Traditional Mortgage How did you add value to the deal?

We worked with traditional residential real estate agents from The Behr and Behr Team with The Platinum Group.

You put down 25% of the purchase price as a down payment and finance the remaining 75% with a traditional mortgage from the bank.

I feel that I wouldn't have enough cash to cover the down payment and closing cost on a traditional investment mortgage (25% down + closing), so Seller Financing would be in play.

We expect to use these to pay "cash" up front for an entire property and its rehab, then refi out to a traditional mortgage after the rehab so that our cash is available for the next deal. 

Traditional banks will offer better rates and terms.