Among the groups bidding on my properties, how many were using bridge debt?  

The 90%/100% programs are out there for new investors, I know of 1 maybe 2 that will provide those terms to a new investor given:Credit is 750+Appraisal numbers came in fantasticThe zip code the house is in is a favorable one for an exitI've closed or oversaw the close of 100s of bridge loans, be happy to answer any questions you may have about it.If your ARV is 550k, that means you want your max project cost to be about 398k (72.5% of ARV), if you buy for 359k that leaves hardly any room at all for rehab costs. 

I wanted to open and operate my own to serve the need in my community to help bridge those gaps between families.

Bridging a funding gap in situations like this can be challenging, but there are several strategies you might consider:Bridge Loans: Short-term bridge loans can provide immediate capital to cover the funding gap until your other funds become available.

If you dig in on the south or west side, you should be getting deals that are distressed enough to just use regular hard/bridge/private money that is expensive. 

I place 2 - 5 bridge loans per month and then about 1 DSCR refi per month. 

Those are two bear traps that investors fall into daily that will absolutely demolish you and put such a bad taste in your mouth you may never return.Nobody wants to pay 3 points at 13% on a bridge loan, but if #1 and #2 above go well it will never kill you.

I was just going to request an 8% increase this year and next to help bridge the gap.

SFH struggle with the DSCR at times but not the 2 - 4 inventory.For Bridge loans for the fix and flips you do not need employment. 

The plan was to us real estate to bridge from here (almost 50) to 65.