New investor in NJ. Low inventory, target specific area

[Allen Collins]

Hey guys, this is my first post. I've been completely obsessed with the idea of owning a multi-family and house hacking to get started. For the last 3 months I've done nothing but educate myself. For the last 2 months I've been looking hard at an area, considering every multi-family on the market. Unfortunately, the properties that made sense were scooped up before I even had a chance to look at them. Now what I want to do is really close in on an area, learn that market and try to get a list of all multi's and start contacting the owners.

Can anyone give me their experience in doing this type of home search? I would also appreciate so much if anyone has any tips or advice for me on ways I can maximize my chances of closing on something with this approach. 

Lastly, I'm moving into Sussex County NJ, if anyone is in the area I would love to network. I currently have a few businesses and do mountain ultras. I'm extremely driven and motivated and I know I would be an asset to anyone interested in networking with me. If you made it this far, thank you for reading!