The article is off because it is comparing two different types of buyers.  

There are rentals, fix and flippers, lenders, tax liens, note investors, STR, commercial etc.

I would talk to a number of residential, private, and commercial lenders.

If you’re interested in investing here, I’d encourage you to speak with a knowledgeable local real estate professional or lender to get accurate guidance.

I imagine cost of labor might be a little bit cheaper in Idaho compared to Connecticut as we ended up paying 10k for gas furnace and 5k for AC with 10 yr warranty for Lennox product.  

I don't know their fee breakdowns, but I can send you over a few to compare fees.Preston Garcia

I'm looking to connect with local investors, agents, lenders, property managers and contractors who have experience in these areas. :-) 

So, you can do a land contract for 12 months, which should allow lender to credit you full value of the land vs the purchase price, but the loan will pay off the land contract, so the lender maintains first lien position.Can't help you with the rest of your question, but you should be able to search for "CPA" here on BP to find experts to reach out to.

Diversification into multifamily also lowers risk compared to a single rental, as vacancies won’t affect your income as drastically.3.

However, some lenders may have requirements regarding the property's condition or completion status.