Until you have a proper valuation for raw land you cannot make an offer.

Extremely light rehab and could get on the market very quickly How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

After finding’s the property I just submitted an offer asking to assume the mortgage. 

@Kyle Hendricks You say you are a lender, is that a traditional bank lender, or do you offer private lending?

Despite offering above the asking price, I'm consistently missing out on potential deals.

However right now even the highest rates we can offer you for an investment are still carrying points. 

I’m considering putting an offer in on a triplex listed for $220k.

Their job is to answer your questions, consult with a professional (broker, attorney, title company) when you don't know what, who or how to ask :) The central and south coast does offer quite a bit fewer hurdles to permit, more on that later... 

Ironically, the offers we had from private entities to purchase the property were approximately $200k less than the final price.Why was this the case?

Owners mistakenly ASSUME all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, so price is the only differentiator – so, they often select the first PMC they call or that calls them back!