Primary residence vs. investment property mortgage rates

[Stephen Muchko]

I am looking for a duplex to live in one half and rent the other. My plan is to get a conventional loan but after talking to a few lenders they seem to be saying the same thing...if I move in within 60 days of closing I could do the normal 20% down at about 4.5% interest since it is primary residence. However, the duplex I looked at this afternoon for example has both leases expiring in June of 2020. I asked the lenders if I could buy the property and wait for the leases to expire before moving in which would be over a year. They said if I do this I would have to go with an investment type loan and do 25% down and 5% interest even though my intent is eventually make it my primary residence. So my question is...are there other ways to go about this other than paying the higher down payment and interest or making an offer contingent on one of the tenants moving out before closing? This was my plan for this particular home but I wasn't sure if there was some type of documentation I could sign saying I plan to move in when the lease expires or if I should keep shopping for a lender that will be more flexible. Any help is appreciated!