In those cases, my wife just listed their house on the MLS, but i bet we could have made a case for a sandwich lease to those who didn't need their payout right away. 

This all about what grade are you willing to bet on ,B ,C homes?

=PHaha nah, best bet is to work with a local Realtor.

I think the above would still be your best bet minus the house hacking - IE: find a place that is best set up to produce income, but also has substantial opportunity for improvement.Just my 2 cents.

A good bet is to visit your local banks and see what types of products they have.

Think Refinancing would be best bet as I would have a fixed interest rate but would have to find a bank deal that closing costs to make it worth it. 

Banks that know the location and value of the area you are investing in are your best bet guaranteed.

Huge fan of Costa Rica myself - bet it was hard to let go of that house but this is great.

I'm looking for a cheaper and more sustainable option than renting and figured house hacking (buying a duplex) while rehabbing, then renting the other unit, and refinancing would be my best bet.  

I bet the same concerns about litigation existed when people first proposed credit scores and insurance scores.