Or, should I just take a fraction of money and put that towards a down payment and finance the rest with a 30 yr mortgage?

The deflationary myth goes back to before people understood it could be fractionalized.

It is improving, meaning sellers and builders are facing a little more competition, but there is still a shortage of housing units in the region. 3) Rental prices are strong and single family homes and townhouses rent very quickly.

Or, I’d have to get an extension of the closing date, which kinda defeats the purpose/competitive edge of a cash offer.

Hi everyone,
So I just purchased 2 properties and it is part of a portfolio loan. Its 2 properties in 1 single loan. I use Stessa only for the tracking feature (transactions). I have no need for the rent collection ...

Don't just look at their prices, also look at their services and compare them to the competition. 

More competition > more offers > more bidding wars driving higher prices. 

That said, you should adapt your strategy based on the market conditions.In lower-cost markets or areas with less competition, you might still be able to hit 1%.

This area is an amazing place to live, and for that reason highly competitive in terms of real estate investing.

Even if the numbers look good, you will get tons of competition that eventually will drive the price off your excel sheets.