Often even without self-sustainability test, these FHA buyers were finding themselves in nicer properties with their portion of the payment being less than rent and they OWNED the property (so they got to enjoy tax benefits, appreciation etc.). 

You might enjoy it: How to Buy a Small MultiFamily Property: A Step by Step Case StudyOh - and don't forget to set up your Keyword Alerts!

We typically use a company called lres who just changed their name - we have enjoyed working with them

If so, it may be worth it to keep it and do the work over time yourselves and enjoy it!

(Say on the initial purchase if someone is buying right now).3) I can lock in a guaranteed better rate now and enjoy the lower monthly payments now, and only pay maybe 1 or 1.5 points instead of 2-2.5 points later when I have to hope that rates come down again.4) This also saves a lot of time which is an important consideration as some refinances can take 30 days and a lot of paperwork gathering and headache etc.Again, my thoughts on this largely revolve around risk aversion. 

Quote from @Diyan Yap: Yesterday come across this great article about STR best college markets  they use data from BiggerPockets Market Finder and AirDNA Glad you enjoyed it Diyan! 

If that's the case, most people would be better off putting your down payment into a CD paying 5.5% interest.But if you have a long term horizon, use leverage appropriately, get personal use out of it, and actually enjoy the business part of it, it's a great asset to buy.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions i enjoy helping BP members steer around obstacles.

I enjoyed what I did building cool bridges and hotels, but I was not too fond of the daily in and our grind.Jumping ship has brought bigger challenges, but I am happier tackling them with people I love working with.With respect to real estate & being a landlord, it's honestly something I do NOT ENJOY that much either (dealing with HOAs, repairs, vacancy, etc.)...unless you can buy properties and completely offload the property management, which was and is hard for me to do with my scarcity mindset. 

I really enjoyed working with you guys.