That said, delivering this level of quality requires a significant investment of time and attention on every engagement, which is why I simply can’t charge low rates.

Most of the time, quality is sacrificed. 

It assumes the property is Class A - which not a lot of investors are acquiring these days.Here's some copy & paste info about property classes:_____________________________________________________________________________Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

Where you fall in that range will be dictated by bedroom count per unit and the quality of the area/building itself.

I just wonder about the quality of the new construction itself and the quality of contractors being used.   

@Hiyun Park only experienced investors can DIY everything in Class C Midwest areas like Detroit, Cleveland, St Louis, etc.Hopefully the info below will help you:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

This way you can easily refinance in a short time frame after closing and capture the equity you are obtaining from getting a property at such a quality price. 

Now he says he is negotiating nationwide deals on materials that are priced so low the quality is non existent.

And sounds like a good set of options you are looking at.Here's some data and visualization on recent trends in some of the markets mentioned here.

.• Creative Financing: Keep an open mind to creative financing strategies; sometimes thinking outside the traditional box can reveal opportunities others might overlook.On a related note, I help investors streamline their operations by generating quality leads and assisting with VA hiring, which might be useful as you build your team and network in the area.Looking forward to seeing your progress and sharing insights along the way.