This also gives me solid staying power when maintenance costs arise. 

I own a 30-unit community and found it much easier and more cost effective than the 1-4 family and flips that I was doing before that acquisition. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

The only approach I’ve found effective is offering a deposit alternative, which lowers upfront costs for tenants without devaluing your property.

If I can make a suggestion...Yes with 3 points you might be able to get into the 6's - but let me give a quick example:Let's say loan amount is $250k and making some other assumptions, paying 3 points down would cost $7,500 however that might only save $195/mo. 

This also costs 200-300 EUR depending on what's included.

It was a huge investment, but it cut the electricity cost by the full 2K per/mo all summer.

When I have some free time, I'll research other options that won't cost a fortune for the small guy.

- Run a cost segregation study on this property in 2024 and you might have $100k on line 18...Without diving too deep on this post - If you run this scenario as a real estate professional while materially participating in the property, You'll be able to reduce your's and your spouses taxable income that year... 

Seller Pre-Sale Financing: Consider selling the tenant-occupied property "as-is" now to an investor, perhaps at a slight discount, which could save time and eliminate renovation costs.