You can generally get the best terms (max leverage and best rates) on an owner-occupied house.

Do a bit of digging, and you can find single-families in suburbs like Decatur or Meridianville that appreciate at rates above the statewide and nationwide average and hit the 1% rule at the same time.One caveat, though, is that most rentals in Huntsville proper probably aren’t going to deliver the cash flow you’re looking for.

They are short term loans, usually 6-12 months, high rate, interest only payments. 

The interest rate is not special nor is the 20% down (80% LTV).  

However, some investors don't mind this strategy if they prefer not to put a lot of liquid in up front and plan to refi out within a few years of closing (which seems to be a great option with the talks of the FED reducing interest rates this year).It really comes down to investing in a growing market, in a good neighborhood & building a great team to support you.

It's debt you'd still have to pay back, but at least you will not touch one of those two amazing interest rates. 

Hosts can get involved by either donating a portion of rents from their payouts or they can offer housing at a discounted rate.

A lot of people tend to mingle these things when they talk about "break even" or "cap rate", but that leads to a lot of confusion.Let's use some real numbers which may be easier to understand. 

There’s a lot of construction, which could hurt both prices and vacancy rates.

Currently living in our home and plan on renting to keep low interest rate while we house hack a duplex to start our investing in real estate.