@Robert Brown personally I'd avoid Sosua, as it's a destination for sex tourism.There is also Santo Domingo, which attracts business travellers as well and the nearby beach city of Juan Dolio.

Select someone who will personally invest in your success and the commission which you pay for their service is a wise investment.

But I personally don't see prices going down dramatically anytime soon. 

How about creating your own personally guaranteed debt fund to enable you to borrow your down payments at 8% fixed forever interest capitalizing? 

Personally I would pass, the margins just aren't there.

If the lender you talked to only has this option, you should shop around for lenders that have other loan products-80% cash-out refinance is going to be challenging in any circumstances, but especially with a short seasoning period. 

Mary,I am not aware of a normal insurance product that would cover more than Replacement cost for most structures.  

Some lenders will waive escrow accounts- some for free depending on the loan product and down payment and some with a .25 add to the current rate. 

Some big recent news is Walmart requiring all remote work to now be in person for thousands of jobs.

The second property would need to be under a loan product other than a primary conventional.Appreciate it!