My dad considered a six month to one year vacancy between tenants normal.

Always be in front of the contract and prioritize where you're buying and entry price. lf all those are three in your favor, you have a lot of leeway with some of the normal but difficult parts of a fix & flop/hold.

I was doing non recourse SIDRA loans and the students would put 50% down and I would fund the balance.. normally sold 20 to 30 homes that last day and I probably financed 10 of them or so..

They are in Fountain Square, Crooked Creek, and Forest Manor/Audubon Gardens.I normally see expense ratios sitting around 40-50% for SFH's, is this accurate for this area? 

Is it normal to have a negative cash flow in the beginning?

I think these bigger cabins are getting sucked up by the normal demand and with the lack of new builds coming online. 

It's also worth mentioning that I already have a good relationship with a wholesaler in town who knows other good contacts, and I am able to use some of these contacts as good resources for general knowledge and learning how it all works.I recently had to close my business of 9 years, and so instead of getting a W2 job or start some other "normal" business, I'd much rather prefer to have house flipping be my primary source of income. 

I know a HELOC normally does not come with much of a closing cost, but over the long-term, this might make the most sense. 

It lacks good standards for entry and results in a lot of noise from potential renters and messenger I not something I normally look at.

Unfortunately very few who seek out these assets take the time to consider their exit and fail to realize they are the most costly assets to exit, let me explain why: Here's how that disposition process to an owner occupant looks: -You will incur turn over expenses associated with vacating the tenant in preparation of the sale -The natural buyer in this price point is the FHA buyer who will normally seek a 5-6% seller assist  -Passing a Section 8 inspection/preparing a home for a low income tenant is very different than the expectations of a home owner,   particularly the FHA buyer who cannot afford to take on any deferred maintenance.