But there are other factors of a personal nature that will dictate when people want to use leverage or not.

House hacking seems to be a great option for this area, so I would love to learn more about this if people have experience on this topic.

I am not sure if you have been following the news, but the whole world has just changed for agents with the way rental and buy side commission is done.

And make sure that all items necessary for you to get the best rate possible from your carrier (like 4 point inspections, roof attachment points, pool enclosures etc) are present or available.One nasty little factor that can't be helped is that every time you buy a property for more than than last owner paid - you will have a tax bump due to re-assessment. 

I'm planning on buying in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Region of NC. 

I’m sure there are plenty of people doing “workarounds” which WORK UNLESS AUDITED  by the IRS.  

1-4 units the floor rate I have recently is 6.5% for 30 year fixed residential. good credit, ratios, etc factor in but par is landing around 7.25%-7.5% without buying it down.

Who here regrets buying an STR?

If you have any claims or some list particular claims in that time frame they will not accept new business from you.In speaking with the product managers I've given the example of a client with 50+ locations paying over 45k per year in premium having a claim for $10,000 and would they take the total account into consideration when this client buys another property... the answer was a hard no. 

I am the executor of the estate and my brothers agreed to let me buy them out on the house so i can use it as a rental property to supplement my retirement.