All in all, I am analytical by nature and refuse to offer what competitors are paying in the area for REOs.

I believe there are several analytical tools on BP available.  

It's an addicting and very fun industry to be a part of and for someone who is analytical, it will spark your creativity when needed!

That's interesting data mining and sounds like an analytical approach.  

There are some great posts, blogs and a few superb pod casts here about that exact subject.

Lenders are very analytical so that probably tells a story in itself.

I would seriously rethink your analytical approach and definitions of profitability.

Does anyone use real estate analytics to do macro analysis of where to invest?

I tend to be analytical, so creating a chart that compares the different options on things like how much capital they generate, interest rates, long term implications (selling vs refi vs helocs), etc. 

@Travis Washington If you are using 'cap rate' as an analytic measure for your investment, just so that you are aware, you are not calculating it correctly.