This can end up costing thousands more dollars, which can obviously affect your margins. 

Thanks for sharing the details of your experience.

Then buy your own, or turn that money into a 4-5 bedroom house and live there a year, and do it again.  5 years down the road you have 10-20% ownership perhaps in 2-3-4-5 RV parks and a couple houses. 

what RE strategies you r using there ?

Does each tenant keep their own garbage can and then put it out every week?

He owns his home here outright (value $350k).

I think every day but Sunday there is a meetup somewhere in the Dallas area.What do you think your first strategy will be?

Sometimes this works to your advantage and in other instances it makes these properties obsolete. 

If you pay more, you won't meet your metrics and will probably have negative cashflow and/or equity.You may have to make 10, 20 or even 100 offers to get one accepted at the price that meets your numbers.

Good luck with your investing business.