So, if interest rates are a buyer’s primary roadblock, then I recommend negotiating a rate buydown at a seller’s expense or looking at new construction, where builders are offering rate reductions and other substantial incentives.What if I’m a seller?

I doubt you'll make 11% with the S&P, but it is probably still your best bet.

He said that typically in flip deals its around 30-40% down but if construction was included it would be about 30%. 

You have to get someone who is familiar with them and would want one.Here is a pic of this style of construction.

In my market of Oklahoma City, you can buy new construction under $250k in good school districts.

If they have money and can compete on pricing, brokers will be the best bet.  

for all the responses, they have been very constructive.

As a realtor, investor, and owner of a construction company down the road in College Station, TX.

I am very interested in real estate investing and flipping (I have a decent amount of construction experience) I was wondering what some good resources are to look at when evaluating a property, especially in the Dayton / Cincinnati area.  

This is after all construction in Los Angeles, if you've never done it before add 50k.If you have $500,000 in cash I suggest you use it elsewhere, this years long headache is likely not worth the 1000's of man hours you will also have to put into it running your very own team of scientists.