Cosmetic rehab have lower risks and can still yield good returns. 

-is it worth doing a fix and flip first for a quicker cash return?

I am new to real estate and am wanting to get a good understanding of the market in the area in order to figure out what I should be aiming for to get in return per month.

What are the highest return strategies to increasing refinance value on new homes? 

Passing investing on average returns 8 to 12%.

I started by continuously reaching out to some of the most successful investors in my area and offering to work for free and gain knowledge in return.

I wish you safe travels and a speedy return!

Yeah it's mostly sifting through lots of bad deals to find the good one.First is finding what a good deal looks like, then going out there and hunting.I'd wager I've spent thousands of hours on Loopnet, redfin, and Excel looking for deals with good returns. 

You can earn strong returns too - I aim for 15-30% returns on passive real estate investments. 

Conventional mortgages require higher FICO, reserves (money set aside to pay the loan), tax returns...just on that note, they typically won't count any income from the property rents until that money hits your tax returns for 2 years.