The higher rates and no point options hopefully are temporary for you until you are able to show a 2 year history of 1099 income, refinance early in 2026 once you have completed your 2025 returns. 

Take the emotion out of it, and just base the two applications off of facts and your requirements. 

Two flats are essentially just houses.... they trade like houses and there is a lot of emotion involved.

I'd hate for a temporary dip in the quality of the tenant pool to be giving my landlord "spidey sense" false alarms on account of taking an extra month or two to fill a unit.

It's hard not to be emotional when house hacking becasue you're living there but think about other factors for you too, not just the cost.

Let’s break it down and explore how you might approach this idea, the challenges you could face, and ways to structure a deal that could work for both you and the landlord.Why the Landlord Might Be Open to SellingThey’ve moved out of state for health reasons and don’t have family nearby anymore, which might reduce their emotional attachment to the property.The idea of simplifying their life and pursuing something like sailing around the world suggests they could be open to letting go of the property if it helps them achieve their goals.With significant equity or potentially owning the property outright, selling could provide them with a substantial cash windfall to fund their future plans.However, their belongings on the property could signal hesitation to let go or simply a logistical barrier they haven’t addressed yet.

some rates you can buy down permanently (maybe .5% or something) OR you can do a temporary buydown like I did.

I'm thinking of maybe just lumping them into a category under repairs or something but want to see if others have a It sounds like categorizing deductions under a ‘repairs’ category could work as a temporary fix, but it might not give you the full accuracy you’re looking for long-term.

If it is a normal occurrence I would be concerned, connect with local boots on the ground before doing anything out of emotion. 

Recognizing the emotional and financial turmoil they are in can help build rapport and make negotiations smoother.