But, the self-sufficiency test for FHA loans can be really difficult in SF, meaning that the market rent from units you will not occupy must be sufficient to pay for the mortgage payment. 

This is from the BP rental calculator and is exactly what I'm wanting to see, just with extra payments each month. 

Risks: rates go down and you have to pay a prepay of 2 or 3 %; you have to sell and pay the prepay; rents decline & you can't make the payment like any other type of loan; cost upfront a little more than conventional; need to find experienced broker licensed in the state where subject property sits; servicers are bulldogs. 

Current landlord questionnaire - we send the current landlord a couple questions about on-time payments, cleanliness, eviction status, etc.2.

., the appraisal for 5+ is at least $2k-$3k) and the financing structure by lenders because Fannie/Freddie don't generally buy loans for commercial properties.So, for you personally, the biggest driver for the type of your next property is probably going to be the amount of a down payment/equity you can put in the property.

.$150 x 12 months = $1,800If you put $45,000 into real estate as a down payment, you are looking at a 4% cash on cash return.I would consider this decent.If you put $20,000 into the deal, the cash on cash return is higher and its better.If you put $200,000 into the deal, the cash on cash return is lower and considered worse.However, cash on cash return is not the only return you should consider, you should also consider appreciation.My benchmark is trying to achieve atleast an 8% return between appreciation and cash flow.Best of luck!

When revenue is low in the first couple of year, so is the interest payment.  

I have the opportunity to help a family member be part of a joint venture with them putting the down payment down.  

Know that every long term lender will require a survey and if something comes up on it when you are trying to sell or refi, you could get stuck in hard money without an easy or quick way to get out.Is there a pre-payment penalty?

Financing: I'm confident I can put $10,000 down as a down payment within the next year.