Your best bet for getting a great Cap and cash-flowing is finding a value-add property in a area that is in the process of gentrification and put in some sweat equity to grow the value and justify those higher rents so you can achieve the cash flow you're looking for.   

Returns, cash flow, down payment or collateral, passive/active investor, long term or flip, sweat equity or not, etc. 

Essentially you can create your dream lists and the only cost will be a little sweat.

Force some appreciation on it via sweat equity regardless of whether you are going for appreciation or cash flow.

I wanted to badly put this deal in contract today as my first deal but couldnt.Although I'm putting zero into the deal financially, I am putting in the sweat labor of finding a good deal. 

Lots of silly regulations out there.I wouldn't sweat it too much.

If someone had less $ then do it as an overall percentageSome people like to use sweat equity or finders fee to get more ownership.

The value that I would provide to them would be via my capital, my time and my sweat equity that I'm willing to invest into the deal. 

If you're planning on contributing sweat equity, the accounting for that gets rather complex.  

Your ability to do a lot of the sweat equity yourself should help you save in our hot (literally & figuratively) market!