I assumed the dig out would be a lot more straight forward but also a lot more labor intensive.

Lots of variables, but if I had to reduce it to one metric, I would use:  Minimum profit of 15% of ARV.So, on a house that we believe will resell for $400,000, we'd be looking for a minimum profit of $60,000.That said, here are a few additional thoughts:-  Obviously, not all rehabs require the same amount of time and risk, so if we run into something that is out of the ordinary for either (much quicker/longer or much lower/higher risk), we will adjust that requirement.-  These days, good deals are hard to find. 

Working with the government will likely be a pain though so be ready to adjust on the fly.HomePath.com

He feels the competition is very intense in Houston.

They likely will show you 3-4, then adjust their list from your feedback, and show you a few more, if nothing comes of that, your dropped like a hot potato.

I will also consider using tenant screening that BP suggests (mysmartmove) and looking at the fees and adjusting if $50 each is too much.

When I did I adjusted my lease to go 6 months (until June 31), and then renew for 12 months after that.

That is to say, I'm skeptical that adjusting any of these factors would help push, say, a $200k offer over the top of a $210k offer, even if the $210k offer has "standard" offer terms and the $200k offer has shorter inspection times and a few extra percentage points of earnest money.Couple of questions:Is this pessimistic of me?

Classes are three hours of INTENSIVE information, plus generous handouts.

Being a PM is very time intensive to do it right.