I'm interested in financing a multi-unit property in the Boston area with an FHA 30-year loan. This may mean a $400k+ loan with at least 3.5% down.

How would this 96.5% LTV affect my ability to obtain future financing? Will future lenders take this into account or does my monthly DTI / net worth matter more than the LTV of a particular loan?

I don't want to over-leverage, so I'm considering buying remotely and financing with a conventional loan at 80% LTV. I'm hoping this increases my risk tolerance and marketability to lenders.

Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance!

LTV on this property won’t matter.....driving matters much more.

@Wayne Brooks Thanks for the feedback!  That's a good point.  I hope to keep driving costs low in either case:

This might be naive on my part, but if I invest remotely, I'm hoping to get my feet wet with a turn-key property with a property manager. I was thinking the remote property may be more passive than the house-hack FHA. Is that a realistic expectation?

Hoping to use cashflow from the investment to help fund my living expenses and build equity through appreciation.  Cash flow would be my priority for this first property.

"DTI" matters more. "Driving", not so much....darn autocorrect.

I would house hack any day over buying a turnkey property where you have no equity and minimal cash flow.

To use cash flow to fund the living expenses usually takes at least 40 to 100 doors. One door with loan have very little cash flow.

Passive income from “long-distance” requires “good” property manager, “good” tenants, and “good” condition property (not much maintenance or repairs).
Any one of the above is bad, it is bad.

Passive income locally just requires “good” tenants, and “good” condition property (not much maintenance or repairs).