So find units that need renovations and are priced under market value due to needing extensive rehab and have him renovate to a very high standard. 

Standard house-hack.

So we wouldn't get constantly denied for plans that didn't go in accordance to city standards.

I have a board across from my desk that has all my properties and their expenses/ income on it ( Quartet dry erase planner) i can tell you right now that the " average" cost per bedroom for a house where i invest, will cost me $175 / month. so a 4 bedroom house will run me $700 to run that house ( not including mortgage) but that's taxes, insurance, water/ sewer, utilities if i pay some, garbage, maintenance ( snow and lawn), leasing fee, and PM %. so when i look at a house to buy, i can do a quick analysis of it based on the amount of bedrooms and what my mortgage would be if i would make money, those are my standard " hard costs". yes if someone has to go there and do work, if its a contractor or one of their handyman, you will get charged for it, and that would come out of the money you allowed for such maintenance.

If you are working with a buyers agent, they may not be happy with the standard 2% that the listing agent is offering and will want an additional 1%. 

Until just last year, the standard real estate contract had a check box for the contract to be assignable so I know it's not a legal issue.

Some conditions will be standard, but others will not.  

Also note that this is a contractors salary not a w2 worker,  so I would not directly compare the salaries to a standard job without making adjustments for payroll tax,  health care, PTO, etc. 

Because of this belief, I've come to find different motivations for choosing this career path.

Most landlords approve the first applicant with the belief that all people in that neighborhood are bad tenants.