I think you should be paying about 10.5%-12% on average right now, 1-2 points as well, and some lenders will not even need an appraisal.

I'd look at properties in Portland, Maine, which is also a mature and expensive market like Boston, and wondered why people would buy at such a low cap rate.

Include all expenses like property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and property management fees if you’re not managing it yourself.Network Like Crazy: You’ve already made a great first step by joining this group!

Vacancy is VERY expensive and can destroy returns, especially if you have to reduce rents anyways. 

I'd expect prices to continue to appreciate, so the longer you delay, the more expensive things may be. 

Ratios like 0.7% or 0.8% can still work, but it depends on your market and expenses.

Some markets can support that expense and others can't. 

Advice: - learn to underwrite expenses.  

You can buy a solid duplex with $1800 rents and no owner expenses for $350-$4325,000 that will appreciate and build wealth and cashflow.

They certainly are not above average which B+ implies.