I recognize that the loans are not going to be 0% and some banks will not want to create lines if they know it's for real estate investment due to the risk factor. 

Now knowing that the owner is dead or some other factor like the property is boarded up, may increase your chance of getting the property.

Why would the age matter if all the major systems have been updated, or the lack thereof, is factored into the sales price?

They can be quite profitable but like any farming depend on weather factors, and market demand.

Factor in ALL expenses like property taxes, insurance, repairs, maintenance, vacancy rates, and potential property management fees.2.

Line of credit costs vs amount in taxes paid vs strategy for property...etc...lots of personal factors that go into this that only you can answer.

You now know your cash flow and what you can take out.Investors' problems sometimes include not budgeting correctly for repairs and maintenance and not factoring in a set amount that they will be contributing to their reserve account for CapEx (if you have CapEx repairs coming up sooner than later, put away more money into reserves now).To summarize, factor in all expenses and your monthly deposit into your reserve account before calculating your monthly cash flow.

Look, Mark was pointing out that it's self-inflicted injury not some mysterious market factor, that's just reality of the math.

Some contractors have insurance, some are 1 man band with no overhead, quality of work factors into cost, level of finishes.We created a calculator for our clients to use here in Chicago, specific to our renovation pricing, but even that is just a guess based on some assumptions.If you can find a quality general contractor, pay them like @Bruce Woodruff mentioned, and it will make your life so much easier...you may eat into some of your profits, but being able to rinse and repeat with someone you trust is priceless!

How Lower Rates Could Influence the Housing MarketLower mortgage rates can enhance the purchasing power of prospective homebuyers, making homeownership more accessible.