With these realities, a 70% loan-to-value ratio is the new 75% in many markets, and in lower-cost markets with thinner margins, 65% may be the real stress-tested number.

Profit margins were thinner than I expected, especially with returns.

I’d still call Building and Housing to double-check, but most likely they’ll want a full concrete or asphalt surface.If you’re trying to keep costs down, maybe ask if they’ll allow asphalt millings or a thinner pour.

Margins are thinner now than they were a few years ago, especially with insurance and cleaning costs up, but a strong product still wins.On the Florida coast, you get more variety — think smaller beach towns like New Smyrna, Cape Coral, or Anna Maria Island — less saturation but also more local regulation.

In fact, we have an emergency option on our call-tree and over 90% of the time it is used, it is NOT an emergency.FYI - in the PMC industry emergencies are referred to as, "blood or flood" issues.

Know your market and when the "blood is running in the streets" be ready to buy!

They can be a real time suck and demand your blood, sweat, and tears.

Definitely a different game now.Still, for newer investors who don’t have time to swing hammers or live near their properties, I guess a thinner return might be worth the trade for peace of mind.Curious — if someone were starting today, would you still say turnkey is worth considering just to get experience, or would you tell them to wait and hunt for a light value-add instead?

If you're not willing to foreclose on your flesh and blood, then don't do it. 

I’m based in the Midwest, and while it’s not North Carolina, we’re seeing a similar pattern here: thinner flip margins in hotter metros but solid opportunities in nearby secondary markets where entry prices are lower and demand is steady.