CAR, as a fellow buyer I think you and JP may be getting a little carried away with the flipper theory.
I spent two years looking at houses basically starting late 2007 and then finally buying in late 2009. I put in at least a dozen offers on houses all over San Diego county including a few in your neck of the woods in Carlsbad. In all cases where I did not get the house, I was never outbid by a flipper. In all cases I was outbid by an owner occupant. The houses were never put back on the market. When I bid I just put in the price I wanted to pay and that was that. If I lost out I moved on. It never even occurred to me during the process that somehow the market was being manipulated by flippers, banks, and scammers. I was much more focused on getting a great location on a great street at a what I thought to be a fair price.
To be fair I was primarily looking in the 700k+ range so it is possible that at the lower end of the spectrum things are different and what you and JP are suggesting is more common.
Anyway, it seems you and JP have been looking very hard these last few years just like I did and I truly believe that your patience will be rewarded.
