If you have liquidity and/or other issues, you would want to have a margin of safety built in.

What is your marginal propensity to spend outside your disposable income?

Also the margin may be thin but if any local South Jersey Wholesalers would be interested in partnering I would do all the work in exchange for some guidance.The deal:Guy owes 60,000 on a twin that is in good rental condition and could rent for between 1100-1300.

These properties in marginal areas tend to have little appreciation if any.

Everything that I've ran the numbers on a flip on has been extremely close margins, while looking to rent a property nothing is reasonable (ex. ive seen rent ~.5%-~1% of the purchase price).

As for the first flip, go with these margins for "napkin math" to quickly evaluate it.Buy for at most 50% of ARVRehab for at most 25% of ARVSell for 100% ARVThat will help you avoid overpaying.

And, would this would open a lot more opportunities where the margin is a little tighter because you wouldn't have to pay agents and CC?

What profit margins are you looking for to make sure you are safe if you need to take on the project?

What is a a good "rule of thumb" profit margin to shoot for when renting? 

We're seeing this more and more.The wholesalers here aren't really an option...at least their publicised deals - margins, rehab and comps are too tight to make hit our profit targets for the effort.