Higher end home buyers are usually more rate and market sensitive.I see you're down in Texas, so if that is your market, weather plays less of a factor consideration as it does for us up north (no one likes to move in the winter unless they have to and things slow down considerably).  

I’ve found a couple that are pretty far away, but still possible.

They are legit.. newer company with a younger couple heading it up 

I only have a dozen properties but with Quicken I do all the bookkeeping in less than an hour a month.

Other than that, I don't know of DSCR loans that go that low.

I know a couple of attorneys that might be able to help. 

I have had this problem before ( a couple years ago) I just re-booted my laptop, restarted their app, and kept trying.

It varies by situation, but a couple decent benchmarks are if it improves your rate by 1% or more, or you recover the refi costs in two years or less.

Recommendations include moving the patio away from the house and adding a retaining wall.Other considerations:I already have a team in place locally to manage the property and handle repairsI visit the area biannuallyThere’s another couple interested in the property and supposedly making an offer.I haven’t secured preapproval for a loan yetMy credit union only services Oregon/Washington, so I can’t use them for a loanI’m unsure about the process of buying an investment property from out of state, as a first time home buyer, especially since I don’t plan to live in the property myselfWhat I’d like to know:Does this seem like a solid investment opportunity?

These areas tend to offer slightly more flexibility, and depending on the size of the property you’re looking for, you might find larger units than in Portland.Also, as Scott mentioned, increasing rents in Portland can be a slow process, especially with the 10% cap or 7% + CPI limits, whichever is lower.