Maybe I was too ambitious by expecting to get a solid property in a solid area for $100k below assessment with no competition... but man, I am going to have to up my game! 

Your listing is really pricey compared to your competition. 

I told him to talk to me before signing with an agent as I know it will cost him 5-6% additional which would reflect on a price increase plus I have to deal with competition.

When researching the competition, you must compare like to like properties.

This has had a net positive effect on mortgage rates with prime Government and Conventional (FHA/VA) often beginning with a 5 in the front and some DSCR rates now in the 6%'s...The on the ground response is likely a dramatic increase in buyer activity/competition.

The difference in this portion of the execution can be $30k-$60k/yr more money in your pocket vs. that of our competition all other factors equal (such as the property size/location).Next, to drive costs down, I co-host (only for clients) at 15% which is 5-15% less than the large PM firms.

There was a time when to be competitive in this market your best option would have been to pay cash, but with current market conditions I do not think that is necessary. 

Less competition: With less attention from institutional investors, individual buyers often face less fierce bidding wars.6.

For me I tend to look for markets not on the lists because maybe less people will be investing there and prices will be more competitive.

Lower interest rates would certainly make projects more attractive.It'll be interesting to see how lenders balance the need for risk mitigation with the opportunity to capture a larger market share by offering competitive rates