As far as I am aware, there are minimal options for financing in Dominican Republic--either Scotia Bank or a local Dominican bank.

If so, why not partner with someone else that can help you fund the deal, either 100% or have your money partner fund 20% and a commercial bank fund 80% then flip it and split the profits w/ your money partner at whatever split you all think is most fair? 

The $99 bank account setup fee. 

It's amazing:1) How many REFUSE to provide specific payment dates & amounts, supported with paystubs & bank statements. --- Logically, this tells us they really don't have a means to pay or they have no intention of paying.2) How many somehow adjust their budgets to pay rent PLUS EXTRA to catch up! 

If he failed to do so, he breached the agreement, and as a result, his IRA was closed.

He ended up connecting with a local community bank that was willing to be flexible as long as the payments kept coming in.

Points and fees like a traditional bank?

STRs sound like too much work to me.Portfolio income = stock dividends, interest income (from banks, credit union etc), Master Limited Partnerships (Form K-1), Business Development Companies (Form 1099), bonds, interest earned from investing in a real estate debt fund, interest earned from being a private lender

The lowest barrier to entry I've seen for house hacking would be to find areas with grant loans, there are several here in central OH, they are general "majority minority" areas, but many local banks are incentivized to do loans in these areas, so you can often get into a 2-4 unit with no money down, and 15K towards closing costs and rate by down. 

If i satisfied the mortgage, there would be another 40k lien i would have to satisfy so its not worth to buy it directly from the bank.