Hello everyone,I would like to know if there are any tricks to the trade on how you estimate your repair costs on a house before you submit an offer?

Replacement Cost values themselves are derived using appraisal software by your Agent and the Insurance Company, or an appraiser, but they are not market value estimates, they are reconstruction cost estimates.

At these prices the return is estimated at 8-11.5% COC ROI.

If you can meet the numbers you have presented then you have a good chance of making it work.The PMI amount is in addition to PITI (Principal, Interest, Tax, Insurance) payment.  

@Logan Jorns, basically, as well as literal "cash flow" estimations, guesses are also made of the assets' future appreciation in value, and how that value is expected to be impacted by the future (lower) buying power of each dollar.ie.

Does anyone know how to evaluate the vacancy rates to try to estimate bookings?

Then develop your Rehab estimate from there.  

This will vary based on how far your structure is from the connection but a rough estimate would be nice.You may want to call the public works division, I imagine they have to hookup the actual connections to the city service. 

Each tax bill will have the owner's name an mailing address.You can try to google their name + address in the off-chance something will come up to get their phone number.As far as finding an accurate ARV - this is challenging and would typically require you to look at comparable sales for similar properties in the same area in the last 6 months or so.

You do not want a PM what you need is a GC (contractor) to bid, estimate, supervise your reno not your property.