How to analyze a rental property when it doesnt meet the "norm"

[Blair Boan]

I recently signed on as a PRO member and it is definitely worth the investment.  Glad to be here.  

I am currently working on my first fix and flip and things are looking good, but I didn't really have time to look at the numbers as if it were a rental unit to hold on to, but now that I am about to finish and sell the property, I am diligently looking for my first buy and hold rental.  My end goal is to acquire as many as possible for long term passive income.

My question, as the title suggests, is how to properly analyze a deal and what MOST folks like to use as a measuring stick to be considered a good deal.

Brandon Turner says he only jumps on a rental that will bring a 12% cash on cash return after everything is accounted for (PITI, vacancy, maintenance, cap ex, management, etc.) But then he also says that to cash flow $100-$200 per door is a winner as well.

From my many many many calculations here in the Greenville, SC market, I am not hitting on anything close to those numbers.  The 12% cash on cash that is,  There are plenty of homes that I can accumulate $100+/mo cash flow but the return is no where near 12%. 

So a few questions - should I hold out until that "perfect" opportunity presents itself, or do I just live with the fact that it is few and far between in this hot market.  I am a real estate agent and can buy properties at a 3% discount on top of anything I can work out in negotiations, but even still - I have seen nothing that hits above a 9% cash on cash return.  

Some people tell me to go after homes that hit the 1% model which I have found 2. One is $54,000 and rents for $550/mo but after those calculations, it ends up only being a 6% return. The other one is a duplex that is $100,000 and rent is a combined $1100/mo but those numbers only become a 12% cash on cash return if I can buy it at $80,000 which simply won't happen. The market is too hot. There are two duplexes and not on the market, but once they hit the MLS they will sell in a heartbeat.

Follow up to these questions:  What do most of you do with the vacancy reserves if the house has none in a year period.  Do you put it towards the house, do you pocket the cash, or do you keep it stored away year after year?  Same goes for maintenance reserves.  If there are no repairs over, say, a two year period, and you have $3400 saved up, what do you do with that?  

Thanks for any and all responses and glad to be here.