Is the Only Way to Negotiate a Lower Price with Builders is to have a pain in the butt inspector find a laundry list of problems and meaningless in the grand scheme defects to compel them to cut their numbers to move to acceptance and closing?

here's what may be the best advice you can get on a project like this ... find the Best Roofer in your area to help with this!!!

If you're priced out of your current market, I would definitely look into other markets where you can find great macroeconomics, positive cash flow, and amazing appreciation potential.

Really trying to find out the pros and cons.

I'd also find out when they get paid, so the payments are done within 2 days of them getting their paycheck.

Very common to be a 20 to 40 mile dirt road one way and then you basically needed to be VERY good with maps to even find them.. this was Pre google earth or GPS..

The, around 5%, rate is currently lower than what you'd likely find now (rates are just starting to dip back into the 5's for investment properties), but I don't think that keeping your rate here should impact your decision. 

You’re making the classic mistake of pursuing a deal just because the property owner didn’t give you a quick no.If you want to pursue for some reason just make them an offer that’s good for you and after they reject it you can go forward with finding a deal that can be purchased at an “investor” price - or at “investor” terms.Here’s my bias - I don’t waste my time worrying about how much the seller paid, how much he invested, how much he owes, the asking price, what his motivation is (which is probably a lie or “half truth” anyway), whether he’ll be “insulted” by my offer, whether he’ll “like” me or “hate” me.  

I just want to know the rules that are relevant to finding comps for a subject property in 2024.

I have read, watched and listened to most every piece of content I could find on this topic and I am just not seeing much downside and am seeing a TON of upside.