I emphasize, these are just my rough rules of thumb, and I'd insist on seeing the place first before making an offer and basing it on actual repairs.

If they say give them a price, I emphasize the fact that I am an investor and I like great deals.

Or am I over emphasizing it?

In the letter, emphasize the benefit they would receive by selling their house to you (save their credit, no more payments etc.)

Obviously, cash on hand is minimal as a recent grad.I know house hacking is often emphasized as a good starting point for newbie investors, but I am curious what other strategies new people might have found starting off with little money.

The BP guys are great with the numbers, but, no one emphasizes that after two years your Residence is a Tax-free Sale up to $250,000.

I think this article sums it up nicely:http://www.insure.com/home-insurance/home-replacem...It  emphasizes that the current market value of your home (say Zillow estimate) is a very poor way to estimate how much it will cost to rebuild in case of a fire or other loss.

As a realtor, market and sell commercial and residential properties.I want to emphasize that I find deals and opportunities that are not on the market.

He was the main reason of why I went to college and graduated with a business degree that emphasized real estate.  

This usually means there's a porch or Florida room that can be brought "under air" to increase the total square footage of a home and drive the price WAY up from the purchase price.Also, and I can't emphasize enough how important this is, put some thought into your design.