In addition, I think you are assuming a general contractor will extend credit to a borrower which isn't' always the case. in columbus we build and make everyone self fund a 30k retainer account in a escrow that they have control over because we build new construction multifamily at a discount and won't extend credit to anyone 

That means they can get a 50% discount on the winning bid.If that's the case, they a) knew they'd kill the competition by smashing it to $200,000 and b) know they weren't going to pay any more than $100,000 for the house. 

Never even asked for the discount. 

Because I have an LLC, I have a B2B account with them and get a 20% discount making things a bit more affordable.  

Finding a good partner/mentor can help you a lot by cutting your learning curve tremendously.

Inheriting squatters is a PIA, but because of that you should be able to get the property at a discount.

When chatting with an insurance representative, inquire about policy limits, deductibles, covered events, guest screening discounts, and the claims procedure.

So you will end up with a rookie that will do it for cheap and cause you to lose your EMD or a discount shop that will barely answer your phone call. 

Rents have increased tremendously since our area got hit by Hurricane Michael, we had a vast shortage of rental properties, and prices went way up! 

I think getting my ducks (management/ financing) in a row and seeking out a discounted MF deal makes a lot of sense.