This helps ensure you can manage payments even if the property isn't generating income right away.Given your situation, if you're aiming for an investment property and have about 3 months of PITI saved up, you're likely in a good position for a conventional loan.

Mine and my SO’s annual income gross income together comes out to around $148,000.

However, financial freedom is not simply replacing your current income; it requires maintaining your current lifestyle for life.

Using some simple standardized tech systems and putting defined process's into place, basic training, maintenance ticket times were reduced 87%, PM Staff avg. communication time was dropped from 17min too under 4min.

For this property, you would be wise to incorporate the income from the other units against your debt service to make the property more attractive to lend on.

It has to be possible my son deserves a dad who's around to enjoy life with him and with an income to give him the life I never had.

Being able to live rent reduced, net 0 or potentially cash flow positive is appealing to me so that I can focus on other things.

You maybe able to do a cost seg(needs to be done by a professional) and get bonus deprecation BUT you maybe not able to use it since you would need to be real estate pro or materially participating via the short term rental loophole to do so against your active income.

Or should I still consider putting more down to take advantage of the reduced payment?

Loan approval is mostly based on projected rental income, similar to commercial properties.Disadvantages - higher interest rates and can be a riskier investment.