Or do most banks only charge escrow based on payments for that year like my first bank did?

I have seen far to many investors sit on the side line with low first mortgage rates afraid to make a move.

If I was doing this first thing i would do is talk to the county office that control sanitary and see what they will allow. this of course assumes your zoned correctly etc.. 

There are also REIA groups in nearly all major metros.Conferences: The Biggerpockets conference and/or the Best Ever Conference are two good ones that will let you meet investors of all shapes and sizes, from syndicators to LPs to direct owners in nearly all asset classes, from SFRs to Airbnbs to apartments and retail, industrial, RV parks, etc.

IF my income got cut in half, the first thing I would do is cut my expenses by a whole bunch.

Takes a lot of time for the first one so you need to stay disciplined and consistent. 

Owners mistakenly ASSUME all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, so price is the only differentiator – so, they often select the first PMC they call or that calls them back!

Which means even if you had an inspector there on that day, it would be a few days before you could get coverage (assuming there were no issues needing remedying first, like an old water heater, roof, etc.).  

We have helped many BP members buy their first property here!

I would love to work with someone in my area to learn the ropes on getting my first deal!