i think the numbers in this post for construction are really low... its def not 200 a sqft, the poster that said 350 is prob more spot on.... i looked a project where the house was just off ventura in studio city yet facing it, the next door house was capecod new build sold for 2.3m i think and the nextdoor lot was thesame size for sale 950k-990k i forgot where it closed...long story short at a min you need 3000 sqft for those homes and at a 300 build thats at least 900k if you are lucky...you need much higher quality finishes and products to command that market esp in the valley, and a pool at least will cost 150k...so long story short, the margins might be decent to make like 200-300k but the risk is far greater.. if that luxury mkt softens a 10% drop in price on a 2m house is a lot of money whereas a 10% drop in price on a say 600k flip is only 60k

Annnd the best school systems tend to command the highest tax rates, so it can be variable by school district. 

Rehab to make it closer to neighborhood to command higher rent. 

I think many homes were just being tossed on VRBO without much professional touches and to @Mitch Davidson point many of these homes do not resonate or are able to command a higher price point.

The million dollar question is how much the upgrades are worth, because that is really hard to quantify, and think you are right that it helps get it rented and retain a tenant more than command significantly higher rent.Given your response, the next time I had a vacancy I would raise rent $25/mo.  

In the case where the seller was offering financing, yes, all cash does command a discount, because the seller carry back note would have only been worth a % of the face amount due to the TVM.In the case where the seller was expecting the buyer to come in with a 3rd party loan, the answer is yes as well, since all cash means that there will not be any sort of financing contingency in the deal.

I guess where is it as well, I'm thinking Haverhill since that is where it says you are from but a different area could command higher prices, though still unlikely that much.Unless it is a place a lot of investors are putting in high cash, no contingencies offers on your best bet is probably the FHA 203K loan.  

If you’re missing one of those 2, you’d need to provide something else to command that rent like free off-street parking or heat.

Rentals that are in desirable areas (areas I have identified quantitatively as those that command rent premiums against the metro average) usually don't sit more than a week or two on the market.

These guys are rock stars and can command these splits.Most syndicators give a preferred rate of return, around 8%.If you have 3 or 4 friends, I would consider partnering with them, creating an LLC and an operating agreement.