If your purchase price (always the largest expense) plus the rehab estimate (the second largest) total no more than 70% of the ARV, the remaining 30% must cover your HML charges, agent commission, property and hazard insurance, property taxes, title insurance, escrow, staging, all else, and your profit.

Be competitive in what you list your property for rent for if you want to get it filled quicker (about 10% below market rent or whatever else is up for rent nearby but you still also need to make sure the unit looks good/relatively updated when comparing to the others for rent - I look at what is on Zillow. 

What else needs to be done and WHY?

With these prices, it's making finding a cash flowing property after refinance nearly impossible.My question for the group is this: has anyone else noticed and/or struggled with this?

But you, me, and everyone else is aware you are better at it than they are anyway. 

Excited to see what else BP has to offer.  

the seller has to not need the cash up front to buy another property (or use it for anything else). 

Has your friend had any luck negotiating anything else in the lease besides price? 

Anyone else challenged to find tenants for your property?

They will tell you what else they want.  3 years tax returns.