That's why the 50% rule is good.

My general rule if thumb is under $100K ARV...

I knew of the like for like rule, but assumed it could be SFH for SFH.

Mortgages have rules, those rules are backed up by regulations, those regulations are covered under laws and violating any rule can result in big problems

Is there a general rule of thumb for renovation costs to rent?

For a novice investor/wholesaler, I am curious to fully understand the concept of the 70% ARV rule.

Best case may be, structure on land that can be leveled at the right time-Helps with city services, could be rented during delays, permit expedition due to existing structure, cookie cutter house plans that the city has seen many times can cut the permit process to a few weeks is what I have learned.I may have to find a new strategy - numbers in this market are just not fitting all the REI goto rules for cash flow, hence my interest in development to scrape the numbers together.Thank you for your time.

That sounds like a good plan James.Check out this quick video for some tips on vetting out potential deals: The 50% Rule: How to Quickly Analyze a Multifamily Investment Property

Some HOAs have caused property values to decline because of the reputation of the HOA or the rules the HOA enacted (60 watt light bulb???).

Rules from county to county and state to state dictate what minimal amount of an opening bid can be set by the mortgagee in FCL auction.