I need help determining the ARV, what makes the most sense to repair, and i also want to have a few different sets of deals up my sleeve to offer the seller. 

They rolled up their sleeves.

My most recent purchase was a fourplex for $275k (off the MLS, btw) in April which had rents under $3k a month; since then I've moved everyone's rent up to $900 a unit, and while there were a few gripes and complaints, everyone signed the new lease and stayed on.In other words, if you have a decent job, a few thousand dollars in the bank, and aren't afraid to roll up your sleeves, you can make a decent amount of money over a fairly short time span.

Old fashioned roll up the sleeves research and visits to the places you mean to invest are, in my humble view, absolutely essential. 

Essentially, he suggested that today's generation tend to be lazy, wanting the quick answer, and prefer to rely on others to help them rather than rolling up their sleeves and work hard to find the answers.

Just roll your sleeves up and do it yourself (when did we lose that mentality here in America?).

There are guys who work alone with magic up their sleeves, don't get me wrong.