Of course the common thought is that there is two closing so it most cost a fortune but the reality is it MUCH cheaper then the 3 month seasoning products and usually cheaper then the 6 month products in terms of upfront costs with usually a better long term rate.  

It's probably a really good market for flipping since you can still pick up stuff cheaper and once done up nicely and properly marketed you can sell pretty darn well.

We aim to start with flipping houses to build capital for more significant future investments.Currently, we are exploring the option of finding a partner who is a resident of Australia and has funds to invest with us.The high cost of properties in Sydney is challenging ($2M), so we are considering exploring a more distant but cheaper market.Is it a reasonable strategy for first-time investors?

You could try to shop for cheaper insurance, but there's not much of that out there right now. 

Especially when the economy is putting the squeeze on certain demographics...you may not be able to press for ANY above market rents - because your competition is renting for cheaper.  

I know of several homes for cheaper so even though the price sounds great, that's not an unheard of price for Spokane area homes.

Given that I have cash for a down payment and could get a loan for a "cheaper" house is it really the ability to come up with the money that holds people back?

Unless there was something that made the unit so much more desirable that they weren’t willing to let it go like cheaper rent or I’ve currently got one wanting W/D hookups she can’t find anywhere.

I got solar on our Primary, we are in Denver, and basically i traded an electric bill for a solar bill, at the time. 3 years later it is actually cheaper than the electric bill and we do get a check every year.I did hear that getting a battery bank helps make it more worth while. 

Also I could use a realtor willing to work cheaper then the others.