My biggest question is -- are the rates higher for "delayed purchase" or would it be the same as a regular purchase?

Also, make sure to stress test your finances, pay down principal on your loans regularly, and opt for long-term fixed mortgages.

I am sure there are plenty more around SA, but those are the ones that I go to regularly.

But because they are domestic they are exempt from FIRPTA and can do regular 1031 exchanges.Just something to add to your decision tree

Albeit, a lot harder to get approved for these compared to a regular DSCR loan you can find at a mortgage shop that mostly focuses on 1-4 Units. 

I would have them go through the same steps you would go through for a regular long term tenant.

There is no doubt that REI in Section 8 is risky, but the entry point is attractive with leveraged yields well in excess of what you can achieve in regular REI.  

I suggest you get the tenant involved in checking in regularly and asking them to move things a long. 

We've had really good bang for buck value with Zumper as far as ILS goes.We also bought a matterport camera and create a virtual tour of each available rental which creates a nice interactive way for prospective tenants to see a space and get an idea for its layout before touring.We use Appfolio for management software and it pushes the listings automatically out to any ILS who will listen which has been a huge help not having to list the same property on multiple sites. 

It's putting a lot of faith and trust in a person that you may not know very well, and who you're not in regular contact with as to their life situation.