These cheap arse customers who want to buy materials so they can get CC points are not going to do any of the above.

I prefer to buy the cheap refillable containers and then I buy jugs of soap on amazon. cleaners refill them.

With BRRRR you typically need to buy a house that needs a LOT of work because you need to get it cheap enough and do a large enough rehab to increase the value WELL ABOVE what you have invested into it.

And we bring the side fence to the front of the house so the sides are not exposed to the street all the other builders go cheap and put the fence to the back of the house and save the side yard fence run..

The other is a full day drive, or a short/cheap direct airplane flight and we have family that lives nearby. 

Mostly, you're seeing a lot of mom and pop investors buying up cheap Indy urban homes that are "cash flowable".

Looking for cheap flips and Brrrr opportunities.

So there will be the cost of the inspections (not cheap) and the cost of the repairs.  

It's all about the location, you might be able to buy a cheap house, but if it's in an area with nothing but other cheap houses and in an area that is "not desirable" you're not going to make much money on it, either in improvements or rent.

@Mike Klarman:  Can you quantify what "not cheap" is?