So where a traditional lender might charge you 1-2% origination fee, certain banks (again usually smaller community or regional) will loan 90% on a new purchase for an origination fee of $250 with heloc terms.  

This scenario applies primarily to a straight, traditional "cash" purchase. 

You get released of the mortgage and effectively sell the property without the traditional closing costs and Realtor fees.  

And If you add this to the fact that interests are low, rents are high and there is a lot of money flowing in from South America and Asia where large capitals are not producing more than a 4.5% per year in traditional portfolios of investment.... my question would be; Is there still place for flippers in today's economy?

I still prospect traditional sellers because marketing a listing doesn't take as much time as working with traditional buyers but on the buying side I only deal with investors.

I'd say the risk of investing is much higher than traditional conduits, but that risk is simply offset by the amounts placed at risk, you won't be getting into the secondary bond market with a hundred or five hundred bucks.

Especially coming from an individual (that uncle) that worked most of his life with a single company before retiring with a nice little 401K nest egg, being an employee is so called safe, secure, and just the normal, traditional route.  

After my wife says enough is enough, then I would start to do more traditional real estate investing where I would have to come up with a much larger 25% down payment for my purchases.  

Hard money lenders can be a great to get started when you can't qualify for more traditional loans.

I can go traditional with a halfway in shape property but my understanding is that if it's not inhabitable, I need an HML.