Since then, I have heard there is now more competition into that and it has become a harder way to make a living.  

While all the big boys are building in the most competitive zones, they do very well just outside.  

We are extremely competitive on pricing, our goal is to help you be successful and then hopefully get your property management business.

Compare it on craigslist to your competition and see which do and don't have ac and the other items.

I will admit that there are still plenty of opportunities that arise here, but there is also a lot of competition.

. - Yeah both of our flips (our first and our current) have been through courthouse auctions.The advantage to them is that its a limited crowd unlike the online auction sites, so you can get some deals (we had around a 100k profit on our first deal) but the disadvantages are (1) most auctions are fruitless so you waste a lot of time going for nothing, and (2) you dont get to see inside the property before the auction - so there can be some ugly surprises.Depending on your market and the competitiveness it may or may not be your cup of tea

I'm just very pleased because they offer plans that are very specific to landlord needs, do not provide excessive coverage options, and are very competitively priced.Hope this helps!

Are there any heavy hitters from Cedar Rapids here who are moving houses using L/Os or contracts?

If on the other hand your competition is gas with utilities extra and their rents are on average higher you would need to do the numbers to determine the pay back on your 25K expense.

The thing that helps you less competition is having more rehabs/repairs.