This term replaced "subprime" and looks a lot different than subprime loans of the past.

I've purchased a couple of my investment properties directly from property management clients who decided to sell. 

The buyer representation agreement states that the buyer commission amount offered by the seller (usually 2% to 3%) is credited/refunded to the buyer.

Flipping a brand new home likely wouldn’t bring much profit - especially after having to close twice when you first buy it, and later sell it.Maybe you have millions to spend and I’m just missing the big picture… but when I think of “income” I’m usually thinking “net income” after you factor in expenses, like purchase price or building costs?  

We are not too strapped for cash, but it always seems better to have more in the bank than less.

Most of the homes we built on these lots sold at a profit, but a couple did not, again, because of the reasons above. 

Almost all mortgage loans these days have Due on Sale clauses, so it comes down to A) whether they find out (usually from changes in the insurance policy), and B) whether they choose to call the loan.

I wouldn't bother investing outside of the big city centers, nor buying anything younger than 30 years old. 

Credit pulls for the same type of loan within a short window (usually 14-45 days) are treated as one inquiry, so your score should be fine.

For several reasons (property taxes, politics), I would prefer to begin real estate investing somewhere other than locally.