In my experience tenants on the lower end of rent tend to cause more damage than higher price tenants.

There's usually a good reason why the entry points are lower.

Key Factors for a Good Seller-Financed DealCash Flow: Rental income should exceed monthly payments (PITI) by at least 1.25–1.5x.Purchase Price: Compare to ARV and market value for fair pricing and equity potential.Interest Rate: Aim for competitive rates; higher rates must still allow positive cash flow.Amortization/Balloon Terms: Favor longer amortization and align balloon payments with your exit strategy.Down Payment: Lower upfront costs reduce risk but should meet the seller's expectations.Flexibility: Seek no prepayment penalties and fair late-payment clauses.Property Condition: Ensure the property’s condition matches terms through inspections.Seller Motivation: Assess the seller’s willingness to negotiate favorable terms.Exit Strategy: Have a clear plan for refinancing or payoff at term end.Portfolio Fit: Ensure the deal aligns with your financial goals and risk tolerance.Vetting multiple deals and consulting professionals is crucial to making sound decisions.

Often times if you lower the rate, the fees go up and vice versa.

There are significant advantages to investing here (lower barrier to entry, much better price to rent ratio's, etc. etc.).

Hi @Elias Halvorson,Both markets offer lower costs of entry and opportunities for cash flow.

Obviously you want to lower expenses while maximizing revenue. 

Putting 10%+ down with a different lender and getting lower points and interest is 100% better.

It would be a good idea to assess your tolerance to risk and then plan something like that, but using a heloc is going to be around 9-11% in this market so to pay something off with lower interest rate to borrow more might not make much sense.

You could bring less down and possibly have a lower interest rate since you will be living there.