The idea is the product of an ah-ha moment late Friday afternoon as I was scrambling to put the pieces of this puzzle back together.

Yes, it's true that you might be able to find a product you need at a greater discount when a brand like Wayfair or CB2 is having a sale, but I've found that they truly do offer superior discounts at scale, even considering the fee. 

You could give them a thousand bad reviews, if they are the only person in town offering a specific type of product, people will still do business with them.

Risks: rates go down and you have to pay a prepay of 2 or 3 %; you have to sell and pay the prepay; rents decline & you can't make the payment like any other type of loan; cost upfront a little more than conventional; need to find experienced broker licensed in the state where subject property sits; servicers are bulldogs. 

And I think a lot of companies will realize that productivity is generally higher in cooler climates.

These places can still appreciate and you can check each city's popuplation growth or decline on https://worldpopulationreview.com/.  

Also, I'm not familiar with their 2-year "teaser" product.

Have you ever read Amazon.com reviews and wondered how anyone ever decides which product to buy?

Here's an example: https://www.schlage.com/en/home/products/JDE265SUTFFFSTR.htm...

It’s important to note that not all bank institutions offer this product.