The bonds example was very helpful and made the concept much easier to grasp.

A shorter term tenant could do fine for you because they are not bad but just people in transition, so you don't lower your standards. 

@Denise Lang some copy & paste thoughts:TYPES OF RENTAL INVESTMENTSRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

That might be our only true recourse.I don't know what State you're in or if you used a builder contract or the standard State contract form.

The lender must satisfy the standard documentation requirements based on the source and type of income as outlined in Chapter B3–3, Income Assessment.All documents of a foreign origin must be completed in English, or the originator must provide a translation, attached to each document, and ensure the translation is complete and accurate.Note: All income must be translated to U.S. dollars.

Quote from @Jim Peret: Dan,Why are you acting like mismanaged ODC is the gold standard?   

Quote from @Steven Stanimirovic: Hi Rich,The prepayment penalties you’ve encountered are quite standard with DSCR loans, as lenders often structure these penalties (commonly called "step-down prepayment penalties") to offset the risk of early loan payoff.

It’s a good idea to confirm you have a path to record title in a way that’s financeable, even though this isn’t a standard fee-simple sale.The big question is whether it’s reasonable to pay a market-rate price when you’re not actually scooping up the land.

This allows you to buy using a LO, but you don't have to sell to the tenant, which allows you to have a standard tenant in place. 

Only thing better would be initial deposit and then paid in full upon Certificate of Occupancy and punchlist complete.Of course, standard items should also be checked: licensed, insured, willing and able to pull all required permits, reference checks.I would also commonly avoid the cheapest bid you get.