Property: small town north of  Austin TX- My Offer: $145k- 20% down ($29,000)  , 30 year fixed , 4.5% interest rate  ($116,000 loan)

I imagine I would need to work with the county to get the billed pro-rated. 

Interest Rate 4.9%Thank You.

It's my understanding that hard money will lend 70% loan to ARV for a higher percentage rate.

Try a couple small local banks and big banks and find someone you feel comfortable with and who has the best rate (take into consideration closing costs and other fees, not just APR.)

My area is certainly out the question especially because I'm more interested in cash flow than appreciation and the CAP rates here are relatively low.

I guess my question is whether there is good way to figure out who the owner of the property is since it's empty and not on the market.Another possible option is a distressed property, with a rehabbed interior and a sad exterior/ roof/ yard on Byrom St that has been on the market for 4 months with price drops, and up until last week had a giant tree hanging over it which was just removed.

What are the typical vacancy and repair rates are you seeing for post repaired buy and hold rentals in these areas? 

There is a lot of money, that is sitting around and earning a low interest rate, or nothing at all.  

However the rates will be a little higher and (usually) only fixed for 5-7 years.