There are also two solid downpayment assistance programs - one for Columbia specifically and one for anywhere in SC.

There are definitely pros and cons to each so I figured I would just lay out a few benefits and personal thoughts: Small banks/brokerages:Pros:- Some regional knowledge of the market- Possibility of more creative lending guidelines with bank specific programs- Sometimes they have competitive rates for their areaCons: - weak balance sheet (more strict on some guidelines, no wiggle room, inability to be flexible or grant exceptions because they cannot afford to hold less than perfect loans)- Can't scale with clients to different markets- Usually limits exposure to individual investors (they don't want one investor to be too big of a portion of their balance sheet)- Lack of experience with multiple solutions (tend to have 2 or 3 loan products they sell and are too niche to provide tailored solutions)Large banks/brokerages:Pros:- Large compliance departments that understand individual market guidelines (typically each state has specific lending guidelines that augment the national baseline)- Ability to scale into multiple markets with same lender (licensed in many states)- Impossible for individual investors to "outgrow" a large bank's balance sheet (not concerned with one investor's concentration)- More lending solutions available for different scenarios- Often comparable or better rates given the game is volume basedCons:- Can be more difficult to get fast responses if the bank/brokerage does not have good follow up systems in place (or if the underwriting/processing staff gets overwhelmed)- Bad large banks can feel less like a relationship and more like a cog in a factory (less personal)Overall, I have worked from both and worked with both as a loan officer, branch manager, and as an investor/client myself. 

(At that point, you would review the loan with an attorney who would advise you if it is necessary to board the loan with a servicer licensed in that state.)FINAL THOUGHTSNo matter which scenario you choose, it’s helpful to use a high-quality loan management software program to keep track of your loans.Additionally, even if you are using a servicing company, you owe it to yourself to know what they’re doing and how the income is being applied.

Most all programs seem to be overkill for what I want to do.

Do you mean the "Healthy Homes Rental Inspection" program? 

There are definitely programs out there that can assist you with maintenance.

Porsha,Homestyle is a great program fairly simple in terms of guide lines and not hard to get approved.

Evan I will not invest in a sponsor that I see either on instagram in the shiny new home, fancy cars etc. or acts as an influencer with all these training programs.

You can do 15% down with the homestyle loan program as an investment property and include the rehab.3. 

I'm currently enrolled in the program.