I get better at predicting the costs each time, and a little better at avoiding surprises. 

@Tyler James That's not much of a prediction. 

I've heard similar fears and predictions for over 15 years...including the global recession almost 10 years ago, yet all the while living here, I've experienced quite the opposite.   

No one can predict the future, but if you'd like I can send you a market update of how Neptune real estate is performing YTD compared to other nearby towns.If you do decide to pursue Neptune, my office just listed 3 properties there (one single family, 2 multi family) all at 60-65% of assessed value and for $175,000 and less. 

It's signing up for huge unnecessary risk and uncertainty right out of the starting gate versus building easier wins in a neighborhood that is more predictably heading in the right direction. 

Little background- bought a home in 2016 in Denver, CO and after the first 6-7 months my escrow/tax went up by around 50.00 and then by almost another 100/mo 12 months later (any advice on that would be appreciated ac...

1) I don't foresee prices falling anytime soon leveling out maybe but probably not falling1a) if you plan on living there long term and can afford the payment it probably isn't a huge concern2) Limiting areas limits your options but it is impossible to predict how much an area will appreciate

Other than that predictions of this kind are useless because they are not actionable.

The tenant that came with the deal has been at least steady and predictable with the rent.

If there aren't many people interested in the property, a wholesaler would have to consider an offer that has an inspection contingency otherwise they risk holding the property longer than they anticipated.However, if you're in a hot market (and who isn't these days), you may be competing with people who are willing to go after the property so aggressively that they drop all contingencies; this would represent less risk to the wholesaler of the buyer backing out so naturally they would likely choose this offer over yours with contingencies.If you're finding that all deals you're coming across do not allow contingencies, it may be valuable to spend some time learning how to expertly predict repair costs on your own so you can determine if a deal is a good one without paying for inspections before getting it under contract.