Home prices are one, cost of living and relatively disaster-free weather keeps insurance costs down.You can look up the median home price for every city or metro area.

You would end up saving the higher interest rate on the HELOC as well as closing costs.

Do they value nicer finishes and design or is that additional cost lost on the typical tenant in that pocket?

A cheap PM will cost you more than a good PM, and that's 8% - 10% of rent.3.)

Another costly item for them to evict us.

For me as well as the seller.First, you have to define Sub to financing.Do you mean the reckless kind where you overpay for a property, take over the financing and borrow from others to cover closing costs and holding costs when you have no money, no credit, no income, no reserves and can't tell a warranty deed from a deed of trust and you close on the kitchen counteror do you meanbuying below market value, already having a nice income, having reserves, using escrow and title, already understanding the due on sale clause, have done a lot of creative purchases and know when to use and when not to use creative finance and how to recover if something goes amiss?

Real numbers- purchase 907k,rehab , closing costs, soft costs, 840k, all in 1.747 mil, basis for each unit should be roughly 291kappraisal of each unit minimum 400k , so 2.4 mil if for all 6.I might refi only 4 out of 6, that will cover initial loan amount.

The cost of entry is lower.   

Going direct saves you and the seller money, giving you a lower cost to entry which helps all your numbers, but you have to put in the extra work to find that deal.

Unfortunately, this costs $$$ that you shouldn't have to spend.