Just google the following: - special assessment - zombie condos - Florida condos (look for recent news)Since you are not living near the properties anyways, why not look in a landlord friendly state where the purchase prices are lower?

If the loan amount you are looking for is small relative to the value of the first and the second property combined, they are very well secured on a LTV%; ask for a 1% point lower rate.If you don't want to Cross Collateralize, do you have any CD's or MM you can transfer to this bank as collateral. 

Obviously you want to lower expenses while maximizing revenue. 

All else being equal, lower mortgage rates reduce the cost of ownership and, thereby, allow more people to afford to buy.

I live in San Diego, CA and as you all know, it’s a very high entry point here so looking to get into a long term rental elsewhere.

I can do that through charging points, but since I'm getting it at a lower rate than you could as a consumer, I prefer to mark up the rate while still being lower than most others in the market.

It’s a low-risk entry into real estate with built-in cash flow potential.

Is the higher price agent inflating to get the listing or is the lower price agent just not keyed in well enough in the specific neighborhood?

.$300k mortgage at 7.25% (30-year): $2,046$300k mortgage at 7.6% (40-year): $1,996Technically, it lowers the monthly, but not by much once factoring in the rate adjustment.

A smaller mortgage means lower overhead, which is crucial if you’re worried about vacancies.