Their ability to recover their money should you default is much lower in this position.

Benefit of waiting is lower mortgage payments and lower debt.

that we’ve learned in our 24 years, managing almost 700 doors across the Metro Detroit area, including almost 100 S8 leases:Class A Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% the more recent norm.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 680+ (roughly 5% probability of default), zero evictions in last 7 years.Class B Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, decent amount of relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% should be applied only if proper research done to support.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 620-680 (around 10% probability of default), some blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 5 yearsClass C Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, high cashflow and at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.

There is a ton of fix and flip going on in Brooklyn and I am trying to work my confidence towards that after my first project at a lower price point around 300K somewhere (CT seems like my only option). 

If renters find out your utility costs are high, they will expect a lower rent to balance it out.

They get a higher return since they are covering housing cost, have the $250k per spouse primary residence deduction in gains, is a savings account, higher leverage position, lower interest rate possible, will pay more premium for location, etc.House might be overpriced for REITs but not for home owners.  

We do know the border had its issues, but currently illegal crossing are lower compared to when Trump left in office.

The price points do make it hard to cash flow even with the lower interest rate subject tos. 

If your rental rate is below the market anyway, a Tenant might consider this to be win as they would get the lower rate in the beginning and just rise to the level they were looking at everywhere else.Step clauses can be written right into the lease, or created by using 3 month lease terms with an auto-renewal at the step up rental rate price. 

In my experience, the local banks are going to get you better rates and lower fees with their commercial loan products than the "DSCR lenders".