Use contingencies (on either your sale or purchases) to stretch out closing dates.2.

I put offers in on at least 5-7 properties and depending on the deal waived contingencies or offered more than asking.

I was so excited to be qualified for a bank loan, with down payment assistance as well as closing cost, however you can only choose properties in particular zoned areas and in my price range in California prices are high, there is not a lot to choose from.Has anyone accepted a loan under these contingencies and has used it for leverage to start there real estate journey?

Not that we dont check our numbers before hand... we add more to the contingency %.

It may need a roof in the next few years, but I would most likely present my offer contingent the roof be replaced.  

If you really think you can get double the rent, I would buy them contingent upon the seller turning them over vacant.

I lost properties by less than $10k offering all cash and no contingencies.

Some go by actual rents, some put in pro forma rents based on market rates if there's a lot of vacancies, some list actual expenses, some list expected expenses based on historical records, most will never include "one time" maintenance or repair items that actually recur regularly, and then some will put in vacancy contingencies and maintenance & repair contingencies and some don't, some include management fees some don't, some leases are NNN or NN or some mix of that or just flat rent, some property's pass through expenses are reconciled while some are partly reconciled while some tenants might have a clause that their rents can not be reconciled and some property owner don't know that means. 

We liked the house and went 40k w/ no contingencies because there was wind of a competing offer coming.

From multiple offers, no showings until the offers submitted, no contingent offers, and agents sharing confidential information.