Higher rents, higher property values, higher competition for an already tight inventory.

Where I'm at in the Bay Area, big money deals are easier to come by as there is less competition for these properties. 

In a fund model the investor makes his money over time and the economics to the managers are in large part directly tied to the return we achieve for our investorsReduced management time / ability to be hands off – we would suggest that for most accredited investors, the amount of time it takes to properly understand and optimize the performance of the business, even if it can be achieved at all from a long distance and without becoming a specialist, is probably better spent on other activitiesBenefit from greater economies of scale than one can achieve with individual purchases – everything from materials purchasing, rehab crews, property management etc.Advantages on debt – specifically: Funds’ debt is non-recourse to investors whereas individuals’ debt is typically fully recourse to their other assets in a worst case scenarioFor many foreign investors debt leverage is not available at all or not on competitive terms, so this is a particular improvement for foreign investorsEnhanced exit scenarios, specifically becoming attractive as an institutional roll-up, with the better potential exit valuation that may drive vs. a one-by-one sale scenarioWe have bought and managed 2000+ homes in a range of markets for institutional investors in the past few years and so definitely bring best-in-class management experience to the venture.

That is the competitive advantage we are trying to use.

But the competition to buy is huge (you're going against not just investors but owner-occupied as well), you have more vacancy risk, etc.

There are deals out there, but it's competitive and I may wait until fall to buy any more (when inventory should be better).

The deal might be attractive, because most investors will immediately walk away and feel that it's too complicated, so, not that much competition.

Do you think this would increase my call in rate and separate from the competition?  

It is extremely price competitive with excellent coverage.For almost 20 years, I have used Dee Wiseman, with William Knight Insurance, for all of my insurance needs.Finally, if @Ben Headrick recommends Safeco, it must be a very good choice.Victor

Their prices have been creeping up lately and a friend of mine tells me that Betco has re-engineered thier buildings to be very competitive with Trachte so they are worth a look as well.