Perhaps slightly higher from an alternative lender but definitely not from a credit union and expect much higher fees.Two were Managers in the Mortgage division and the other was a Loan Officer.

I do not see why a down payment in real estate is "tricky".

Quote from @Lorraine Hadden: It wasn't long ago that mortgage rates dipped below 3%. 

Taking on more debt through a HELOC does not solve the problem of the high mortgage payment on my primary, however.

Quote from @Pete Tarin: How does one go about assuming someone's mortgage with a better interest rate when purchasing a property? 

Quote from @Jed Butikofer: Unfortunately, it takes money to make money.With high prices and high mortgage rates, cash flow is difficult to find and we may not see a return to the 2018 market for a while.

An example, a small down payment initially, but the note has now seasoned for 60 months with on time payments documented by a third party servicer.

So I shouldn't call mortgage brokerages, I should call mortgage companies?

The Fed rate cuts will eventually help bring down mortgage rates.

I have used Hero mortgage for a portfolio of houses in Texas and a STR purchase in FL.