You could try selling it yourself and offer 3-4% to the buyer agent to see what you are paying for on the selling side.

You can also bill them for the additional costs for leasing agent, listing, etc if you have any of those. 

Monarch is offering 50% off right now with code Mint50 which in my opinion is a steal. 

Depending on the answers there will be additional questions. 

I've been searching for and working towards purchasing my first investment property for years and years, every time I found one that fit, other local investors with more experience, more readily available funds or alternative financing, and more connections were already writing offers while I was touring the property.

I am looking at what they were listed for but it seems to be open ended and not very reliable when trying to figure out what I can offer. 

Talking to an agent in your area that works with first time home buyers would be a great way to learn more about what your local area has to offer. 

Is there any advice anyone could offer me for my first house flip?

This strategy is the most risk-averse and offers easy entry into real estate investing. 

Obviously I don't have much to offer currently in terms of local knowledge but I love connecting and sharing info and plan to be a valuable and helpful part of the investor community there.