5-plex / 6-plex financing? Rates? Availability?

[Kevin H.]

A few of the properties I've been eyeing recently are 5 and 6 unit setups.  Some of these have had all of the units under one roof, and some have consisted of alternative designs (like 2 triplex units on the same lot). 

I've heard repeatedly that it is hard to get more conventional style financing on buildings with more than 4 units, and I've heard that 5-6 unit buildings are often too small to get commercial style financing.  

How much truth is there to all of this?  

What kind of terms should I be expecting if I'm trying to get a loan on such a unit? 

A few particulars that may be relevant:

1) I will not be occupying any of these units.

2) I have enough cash to go up to 50% down on any of the places I'm currently considering, though I'd prefer to stick to a 20-30% downpayment.

3) I have excellent credit. 

To be able to develop a true comparison between these properties vs single family, duplex, triplex, or fourplex homes, I'd obviously need to have some idea of what financing the deal may cost.  I've been having trouble figuring out what range of interest rates I should plug into my spreadsheet when debating properties like these.  In other words, I just need a good guesstimate on:  1) the likelihood of obtaining quality financing on these types of investments.  2) An estimate of what kind of mortgage rate such a property would be likely to carry.

Thanks!