My motivating factor in paying off first is to minimize my exposure of going under.

If you don't use it - don't take the $, but keep funding your maintenance bucket so if a HVAC dies (or other major event) you have funds to address this event.If you are using a property manager (not hard to manage your own if you properly screen tenants & handymen), consider that if their efforts result in high maintenance or repair costs, or they rent the home for under market rent, their exposure is low - but these factors greatly impact your return.  

Pros, if you find a good manufacturer they take weather exposure out of the build and really can produce a great product.

Yes, I agree but Trump's ascendancy will create a new motivation for reducing risk and exposure in certain communities.

I have exposure to the stock market and have other assets directly in my name.

While it factually may not be true, the human exposure impact really depends on a lot of variables.

I think the key was finding a big enough bank with enough international exposure that wasn't afraid of me leaving the country and abandoning the house.   

Holding costs, interest, exposure, and on and on.  

Your exposure is building over something and then having it torn out for any remediation purposes. 

@Mike Hendrickson so if, as a RE license holder, your supposed to uphold your client's (the seller) best interest, how would you reconcile getting the most money for your client, with not listing it to get the most exposure, and therefore, the highest price?