I just look at charts, overlay them and let my brain go wild.

.- Until/unless you are in contract, the title/escrow/settlement fees are very carefully calculated wild *** guesses at this point.

Prices can vary wildly depending on the contractor as well.

I was in Balt city this week quick trip so did not ping youOh man  that is a wild place in the C D areas.. :) 

Wild card: is there a middle path I am missing that would generate good cash-flow at low starting capital that works either while i still rent or takes me out of having to rent?

They use various algorithms and public data which vary wildly.

There are also many breeds with above average aggressive tendencies, so regardless of the owners best efforts, the wild cannot be taken out of them. 

You might get some really wildly good rates from PenFed or local / community / credit unions.Also, don't forget that the Credit Bureaus understand that you should be able to shop for a loan. 

Or is this even a worth wild goal?

The wild card may be getting the previous landlord to give a written statement saying they broke the lease.