Sounds like the seller is trying to brush you off.I would follow up and let them know you're serious about an offer but they need to let you do your due diligence.

If your renovation cost ended up being higher than you budgeted, then elbow to the grease and you better pick up a paint brush.

sometimes though the ones who are the most experienced and think they know it all are the hardest ones to work with they are too busy to really take the time their buyers need to help through the build process.. so its hard to paint a brush over every agent..

Right, the list of things to maintain and/or replace is never ending; rugs, AC filters, light bulbs, water filter in fridge, detector batteries, pest control, coffee maker, stove eyes and pans, silverware, bowls, glasses, sofa cushions, pillows, blinds, brooms, mops, vacuum, brushes, shower curtains, bath mats, beach towels. 

But just brush up on them.

From my research in the market I was expecting ~10% of the monthly rent and possibly a procurement fee, but that seems to really just be brushing the surface.

It's really easy for my contractor, one sprays and one uses brushes.

Last time I checked, their pricing (for the large 2-sided full-color PC) was still pretty competitive:Postcard printing .14 (for 7 DAY turnaround)Processing for mailing .07 ($175 fee divided by 2,500 pieces)Standard postage .28-------------------------------------------------------------------.49 per piece total (Does not include mailing list)So, that's comparing old-school static printing to the new-tech variable printing (apples to oranges comparison), but you get the idea.P.S.

If you're seeing more price points that are higher than the norm typically it means that either the market is shifting gradually up or that there's multiple people involved in that deal "chain" before it gets to you and everyone is adding their markup.My advice would be to attend a few local meetups to brush shoulders with other investors to pick their brain about whats working in your market AND to start marketing direct to sellers instead of trying to get the deals from wholesalers. 

I would brush up on terms and negotiating since you will be doing it yourself especially if you want the price your home is worth.