Building relationships will give you a competitive edge.Establishing strong connections with brokers is essential.

Conventional primary 5% down on a duplex is not even that much more competitive... 

The furnished rental market is incredibly competitive nowadays.

It's a competitive career. 

While California may present some challenges for investors due to high property prices and competition, there are still potential opportunities, as well as options in other states.

Amit, John is right, that AirDNA is one of the best data points, but it should be taken into consideration with other input (first-hand knowledge on the ground, your own competitive analysis, etc.).That said, DM me the address and I'm happy to send you some info from my AirDNA account.

You’ll want to be aware of your market conditions prior to starting negotiations as if there is lots of competition you won’t get nearly the request for time deferred rent, etc. that you want.

^ I agree with Sarah but want to add you will want to know your competition.  

However, in a competitive market, if a seller down the street from you is offering to pay the buyer agent commission, the buyers are likely to choose that house over yours since they won't have to pay their agent out of pocket.

It's not just expensive it is very competitive.