I'm also not afraid to tell the lender that the appraiser is wrong and that I'm not interested in working with them again. 

I call and first he doesn't answer so I double dial and he's this guy with a heavy accent but his profile says he lives in Texas but from Switzerland. 

I'm afraid I'll have to finish the curb appeal and driveway but figured someone at this price point and area had $45k to do it.

Your method makes complete sense but I’m afraid I am too late for that, I’ll just have to wait out the 6 months to get all my cash out :(

Don't be afraid to negotiate, particularly if you have a lot of rentals.4.

@Robin Simon im afraid im losing out on potential equity on my property with another product that is not IO.

So, summary; don't be afraid to take the next evolution up to help your today and tomorrows, it's time. 

The easiest time to find good deals is when everyone is afraid of the market, similar to now. 

And lastly, you are only as good as the internal rep you get, don't be afraid to ask for someone better if your rep can hardly fog a mirror.  

Some good advice shared on how to mitigate the cost obstacles you are facing but I am afraid what you perceive as high costs are actually normal costs associated with single family homes of the vintage you purchased.