And they take a cut along the entire way - they sell you the house that they have rehabbed and are selling at appraisal value - (making commission plus flipping profits), they lease the house for you (take a management fee), they repair (take a %), when you sell (there they are taking another percentage).

Honestly your approach may be a bit rough around the edges, but actually getting out there and trying to find deals through grit and hard work is the best way to start.

I got into this by accident when i took a job via upwork as a VA  for Vontive and stated at interview  i could lower there costs and stress by automating there lead gen.I automated the lead gen and they didnt need 5 0f the 6 VAs they hired and we cut there costs by nearly 60%.Thats when i realised that you could automate even the cross platform data scraping.Then i got some extra clients from Upwork and now Im on here to help, offer the same and expand to others.going to the recorder office/courtYou only need to go to the physical building if thre is information on the documents that you need but cant view online.

As others say, make it crystal clear in your listing that the "shells may cut a dog's paws, and we don't allow pets." 

Save $$$, get creative on a rehab to cut the budget, look for cheaper RE, or leverage PM.

We are trying to cut costs on the ones we are doing now, but still trying to keep the quality high. 

- Do you think it’s worth challenging the appraisal with Kiavi, or should I just cut my losses and move on?

You might make less, but you cut a lot of costs, make the 1031 exchange easy and maybe worthwhile. 

I have a question and would really appreciate your input.I’ve done a couple of fix-and-flip projects in the past using hard money lenders, but I’ve noticed that their fees and interest rates significantly cut into my profits.

My partner and I don't get a cut of any of the money invested, it's a flat-fee membership club.