That's a high risk loan, and they will charge you for that risk -- something in the 8-9% range currently.

We would never move anywhere where our safety would be a concern or where our quality of life would diminish outside of our preferred range. 

This range does not include taxes and fees, and does not factor in your unique location.is the company that installed the ac unit screwing you over?

The GC fee for a standard build is going to range from 18-35k depending on the builder per house.

I have also been selling all of the builders homes for the last 3 years, with prices ranging from 600k-1.45M

Nice homes that I can only guess would be in the 1.5 - 2M range are going for $450+ a night. 

As far as repairs and maintenance if your looking for small rehab deals that price range your looking at will be very slim and if you find something in that price would most likely be in your C or D areas, with that being said back to first question are you willing to manage them or not?

Most of the time, they make you decide the pre-payment penalty based on a range of interest rates they offer.

It gives you a broad base to work from and a substantial range of knowledge when making connections.

As an example oceanfront homes STR's typically begin in the $1M+ range, and more conservative initial SFR investments begin around the $350-400k mark.