Question about how to find properties

[Sarah Ali]

In the webinar, step 1 is to find an investor friendly real estate agent.  However, I am also hearing that you can do things like contacting property owners via cold calling, skip tracing ,etc to find properties.  Could someone please explain how these two processes work? Do you do the contacting property owners yourself and then work with the investor friendly RE agent to actually purchase the property? Does the RE agent do the scouting and present the properties to you, and then help you purchase?  

I'm trying to get a better understanding of how "Step 1" really works, details and all.  I'd like to purchase a 2, 3, or 4-plex and live in one of the units and rent out the others as my best way to get into this crazy bay area market.  Thank you for your replies!

[Nicholas L.]

@Sarah Ali

if you're looking to house hack, just connect with a great agent and start looking at on-market properties.  look at lots.  don't look at 3 and make 1 offer and get frustrated.  look at as many as you need to, to find the right one. and remember that you're not trying to 'cash flow' a house hack.  you're just swapping a rental payment for a mortgage payment to build equity.

yes, you can try to spin up off market leads; it takes a lot of work.  and no, in general RE agents aren't going to find off market properties for you, or help you when you find one, though you're of course welcome to bring an agent into a transaction if you want to.

there are lots of good podcasts on this - look into the BP catalog, Wholesale Hotline, and others.