I have had a tenant in place for almost a year who looked like a bad renter on paper (low credit score, fluctuating income, criminal history, etc) but she turned out to be the dream tenant.

Why did there costs fluctuate so much?

I also know that the markets in Newport fluctuate a ton depending on the seasons because of how "touristy" Newport is!

We'll cut to the chase, here's our dirt.The Facts: Ages 51/44, Married, w/10 yr. old childOne steady income 45KOne low income & fluctuating (self employed only 2 years but growing slowly)Living/ renting in NJ (Very expensive market, 2 family units sell over 500K)Fair amount of debt 37K (Car loan, 2 CC, Medical bills)Just getting by each monthCombined 401K's =  150KMy 401 (100K) can be transferred with no penalty to a self directed IRA (I had opened up last year in hopes of using some cash to invest in RE) We are determined to get into REI however we're probably going to need some creative ways to do it with our current situation.

I have had the best luck from credit unions on numbers, but be aware these numbers do tend to fluctuate more so don't be scared off from a couple high quotes (I was quoted 8% from one credit union and 5.5% from another in one day... a huge swing).

Fully understanding it can fluctuate, I would love to hear expenses ranges for folks who have had this done.

I know prices fluctuate depending on the street they are on. 

Most people (non real estate investors) dont use large chunks of credit like we do, so they dont see the fluctuations to their score like that.

So I am looking to plan for those fluctuations as much as possible to make sure we will be very safe from a cash standpoint all through the first year.

I’m hopeful that the fluctuations in the market will produce new opportunities.