I would in a normal course of a rehab replace cast iron lines on the interior of the home and basement if they are accessible and if I already have a plumber there doing work as those are cheap and easy to replace at that time.

The buy in can be very cheap, but you need to know what to do to turn the investment the right way.

Cheap curtains hung up on the first floor, a welcome mat, lights on a timer, battery operated fake candles on a timer, big size 11 men's shoes and big men's jacket hung by the front door, two empty dog bowls, a tie out in the back yard (for a dog), fan on a timer, foldable table and chairs with a tablecloth and centerpiece, and radio playing on a timer.  

Deals are still cheap ($120k-$180k) and have positive cash flow and lots of appreciation potential.

The main reason is labor, and the cost to live around this area is not cheap, so skilled labor demands high wages and benefits. 

Diversified economy, loads of tech money, coastal migrants moving in who still think it's relatively cheap.

Filling vacant spaces in your communities can be a huge pain!We were able to get financing through Legacy Homes, the terms are roughly 10 years with a fixed rate of 7.9% for the first 2 years then Walstreet Journals P...

That's the easiest, least expensive way to get started and investing in that way in your local market will have a much greater impact on your financial future than buying a cheap house in the midwest- those "cheap" houses tend to be very expensive. 

When I've seen flippers do this, my buyers almost always say, "if they went cheap here, where else did they go cheap."

Real estate was cheap in Mississippi, and I could purchase the home with 10% second home loan.