However, the lender I am working with is part of the Maryland mortgage program that give you the 25K silent loan that needs to be payed back if you sell or refinance.

Voucher programs are arduous and not for the faint of heart.

This must be communicated up front because there are some lenders who have overlays.You can also buy the new primary after you take the cash out and use a DSCR loan program to buy another investment if you are worried about DTI as well.

Also you may know me for my educational events and mentoring programs and as I  have mentored some of the most successful apartment syndicators out there... 

You can learn something from every Guru Program but no program will teach you everything you need to know.

Research down payment assistance programs, partner with others, and consider house hacking.

@Nayeem Khan there is a local insurance program that combines both a vacant policy with a builders risk policy, avoiding the starting and stopping of multiple policies. 

How can I determine if the property is eligible for the Section 8 program?

Ask about their training programs, especially around investment-focused transactions, and find out if they offer mentoring opportunities.

Brokers also tend to have a much deeper product line up as they are offering the loan programs of many lenders, so they shop for the best terms and rates for their borrowers.