I will have no problem asking for a price reduction if capex expenditures are nearing.

Maintenance costs are not necessarily capital expenditures.  

The expenditure is consistent with IRC section 162. 

The problem is...statistically, the chances of you keeping this loan longer than 3-5 years are very low...the only one that makes money here if you put down 15% instead of 20% is the lender...you save nothing and the $8000 will be consumed into another expenditure that will bring you less than it will if you put it into this transaction.  

Spoke one local lender and he informed me that all Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac loans now require full (1) year of ownership in order to refinance existing capital expenditures. 

Being a landlord can be a lucrative proposition, but unforeseen expenditures can put a damper on profits if they aren't calculated into the rent beforehand.

Our rental home is cash flowing, with tax insurance mortgage and all we are paying just over $1300 a month, with maintenance repairs and expenditures our break even is conservatively around $1550 a month and we are renting for $1700.

Hi Folks,Is there a standard percentage that you all figure in for vacancy, capital expenditures, maintenance and repairs or does it vary by area/property?

Then there’s Capital Expenditures to worry about.

You've already mentioned PITI, in addition to that you will want to account for any management fees, capital expenditures (think longer term), repairs / maintenance, and vacancy.As for a new home at the price point as you are describing, I'd give a potential range of $1,300-1,500/mo.