Demand is a tougher one to gauge and has many variables involved - season, pricing, competition, etc. 

Credit Unions/Banks that are local and offer competitive percentage rates 2.

You'll find a very active group of investors along the panhandle that are helpful even in a competitive market. 

My initial price range for this purchase is between $120k to $150k, the market is very competitive in Omaha for this price range but I am confident I will find a deal with persistence. 

Which is a very competitive market. 

The harder it is to contact her, the less likely your competition are willing to go as far.I'm confused by one thing, though. 

If you're excluding syndication you could ask the seller to carry a note and subordinate to the lender you use, but would have to cover this in your global cash flows used to qualify for the underlying loan. 

I'm thinking of testing something else as I'm in a competitive area.

In order to stay competitive in the market, would one recommend investing their money into making the property look more appealing with new appliances, light fixtures ect or work with what you have?

Low offers in a less competitive range can work really well, especially if a home has been on the market a while and records show plenty of wiggle room.