Read the forums here, but even more importantly, listen to all the BP podcasts - the main RE one, Rookie, Money, and On the Market.

The marketing isnt that important in my opinion but the professional photo/ video is a huge game changer and I dont believe that someone is going to make much profit at .5% on the listing side.

The borrower's experience is important, but what's more important is the "Hard Asset," Hard money lenders rely on their due diligence process to determine the potential future value, review the renovation plans to get to that value & sometimes even the contractor.  

Verifying last 2 years of rental history very important!

It's still important for each individual to test the software platforms to see which one they prefer.

Interest rates and points are not the only criteria upon which to base a decision; length of loan, amortization and if you can get it “loan assumability” especially with no qualifying and no rate escalation could e much more important. 

The Go-Giver: - “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value, than you take in payment”The Voice of Knowledge: - “It’s not important to be right, or make others wrong.

The overall direction is maybe the more important story happening.

Given the general importance placed on cash flow, is my line of thinking incorrect and therefore should buy something cheaper or look more into duplex etc?

We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.