If your objective is a given gross profit then you may be forced into doing higher risk, but less competitive and higher profit flips to achieve your goal. 

All you said is true, but, this "hard market" and in some ways it is really hard, lends some opportunity that is of equal force. 

Active investing - CREATE wealth through forced value increases, financial engineering, better operational efficiency. 

So if you could gc them yourself, you could force some equity on the new construction deals and the new construction ones might be a no brainer.The other question I'd have is whether you're getting deals on the pre-existing homes.Ultimately, its going to be real tough to scale either one if you're paying retail because if you're buying 250k homes and putting down 20 to 25%, you'll run out of cash real quick. 

it's still very possible to force significant equity, and then break even. it's just not a good cash flow strategy.   

Only after forced appreciation (rehab)?

Given the large time I already put in, is there a way to force the sale with the U&O in place?

Force the values down, people keep moving out.

I can assure you the city demolished a building because of make safe violations that were ignored, not because of a desire to force gentrification.

The fact the associations force agents to join is a questionable tactic.