When loans were called, was it due to specific triggers like delinquencies, insurance lapses, or low-interest rate portfolio loans held by smaller banks?

If your annualized maintenance expenses are in the double digits of gross rents, then the 1% rule is also inadequate. 

Is there a way to have No money Down or Low money down? 

say you find a solid property in a low cost market for $200K and you buy it.between down payment, closing costs, rent ready / spruce up costs, and lease-up costs, you're probably going to need at least 50-65K in cash. 

I think the folks that pay for these programs have the wherewithal to simply cut a check and its no big expense to them compared to what they stand to get out of it. 

Once converted to a rental, repairs and improvements may qualify as deductible expenses, but pre-conversion repairs typically do not.

Agree it is difficult to assess costs when they vary so much by location.Keep in mind that some turnovers are sickenly expensive, and that is just the nature of the business. 

The type of the neighborhoods where his properties were located didn't fit in with my plan but he did well and the purchase costs were low.

Its far far less expensive. 

Hi Saul,Vegas and Phoenix are on the pricier side, so you'll need to put a large down-payment down if you want to cover all your expenses with some cash leftover.