I was just wondering what are some methods other investors use when talking to a seller. 

They were not, however, easy to "get" and required skillful negotiation.

I was going to try and negotiate something similar to what I described above so that I can compete with the rental rates in the area. 

Don't negotiate against yourself here. 

Also, am I able to negotiate with the agent on what percent his commission will be or is it stuck at the normal 3%?

We found a few deals that fell through in negotiation or after inspections and then finally we found our current duplex in August 2016.

Over the course of a few years, you have great baselines built up and can then more effectively negotiate with your property manager to reduce these fees, especially if you have a substantial number of units.  

Negotiate trash, lawn care, cable contracts to reduce cost. 5.

Are you prepared to re-negotiate all those leases?

Once I run my properties by different lenders in my network, I want to negotiate a fair loan that works for both parties  but I can't tell what I should be asking for.