My understanding is that they find credit unions to lend and they seem to get very competitive interest rates.

I just got 900 for a 1 br in EC, and 1700 for a 4 br in Lee Harvard, tenant pays ALL.I dont want to get into a whose rent is bigger than whose competition, I'm sure you'll win. 

We have a chronic housing shortage, which results in an extremely hot rental market, but it also makes buying very competitive.

This was about competition. 

Additionally, my renovations are full guts anymore, which helps limit some competition and allows me to push the ARVs relative to other houses for sale in the neighborhoods.Admittedly, this doesn't necessarily create substantially more deal flow.  

@Sokun So Joshua Tree is an extremely competitive market.

Im thinking if I create a unique listing on Airbnb (After I live in this for a year to meet the VA loan requirements) I can create a competitive advantage by having such a unique property and demand a higher price per night as well as keep the occupancy up.2.

Less competition.

I have been a global business developer in the world of construction equipment for the first half of my life's career and have watched Kubota take over the global excavator market country by country since the 90s against a field of 30+ competing brands by offering a product that costs 5% less, has a slightly better initial quality and about similar performance.

Absent massive government intervention, normal innovation and globalism keep inflation low (i.e., the 40 years prior to 2022).