But you could see the distinct advantage I had it was huge.I feel sorry for folks doing this in PA and other states that are so antiquated..  

Overall though, if it's a private loan and not a hard money loan, other than the costs of the loan itself (interest rate, points, etc.) the costs should be pretty modest. 

Finding it hard to make the numbers work?

Great tools that get updated regularly.I am on the lending side of things and would be happy to hop on a call with you anytime to discuss financial strategies and help answer any questions you may have about nearly any loan product available to help you on your journey, even if they are not products my capital partners offer.

Charlotte is a great market (though it is seeing a lot of new construction this year!). 

We had our offer in first, it was at asking (same as the other buyer), and we were paying cash (they were using hard money).

Ensure you do your due diligence before placing a bid, as these often sell as-is.

What can I do to stop it?

To truly know how the AC is running, you’ll have to test it.

Keep it simple, buy rentals with 10% or better NET income without capital calls, that's what I do all from OOS Good luck