(And I wouldn’t be able to hold the note long enough to pay down principle much.)Is this a gamble?

The deal you proposed would NOT make sense if you want cash flow.If you're looking for appreciation in the Taunton market, obviously that's a gamble. 

With that being said, unless you are very seasoned and have lots of extra cash, i wouldn’t gamble on an appreciation in this market.

Makes me shake my head that people are so desperate to get a loan that they will gamble their identity.

@Eric Sipe everyone here please do yourself a favor and watch The Retirement Gamble.

There is a little, but not enough to justify refinancing that 150k back into the loan 2 years later. not unless rents start to climb in my area which I feel as though that is a bad gamble to bet on just to get this deal done.

Because, right now, you're gambling a $250 monthly loss that it will appreciate in the future.

Honestly it was a small gamble as Amazon just moved in 40 miles north.

That may change once I have millions of dollars to gamble on real estate, but for now...

You spend $795 upfront and over 10 years you save $955 on that rate decision of 4.375% vs 4.5%.If you keep the loan for only 7 years you lose money on that rate decision.It's not a ton of money, but usually the extra investment is a long term gamble that very rarely ever pays off, at least according to industry statistics.