DFW newbie looking for motivation and tips

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Hi folks!

I've been looking at REI for years, but been too afraid to actually do anything about it. I've read tons, saved up some cash, and am psychologically ready to make a deal. There's still a fear element, but I'm good at crunching numbers and going through contracts, so think I can remain unemotional about a deal. (I have a web development/computer science background so I'm pretty good at thinking analytically :))

I've checked into my financing options, and won't have any problems there, whether I go with hard money or a conventional loan.

The biggest issue for me is how to find a deal. I know, in theory, how to evaluate a deal, but in practice, I'm sure I have a lot to learn. I'm hoping to be able to lean on the advice of this group, or some mentors to make sure I'm not hanging myself the first time around.

As far as finding a deal goes ..I keep hearing there are tons of them .. so I'm hoping it won't be too difficult. I'm curious what you guys think about the following approach to finding a deal, or what you did to find your first deal.

1) Use Realtor.com. I've been scanning realtor.com looking for homes nearby (Fort Worth, TX) that are in the 40-60k price range. I'm looking to capture equity by buying distressed and rehabing (that is the way to go, right?)

2) From this site, I found the "myhousingdeals.com" website. It looks like listing service for wholesalers, so I'm a bit leary. Wondering what you think of that approach, and if it is viable?

3) Was thinking about contacting a hard money lender, whom I most likely will use to finance a deal initially, and see what leads they may have.

The other issue I'm concerned about- if I do happen to find a deal- how can I evaluate it correctly? As far as ARV goes, I know about checking comps- since I'm not a realtor I've considered using a service like investway.com, but haven't signed up yet.

To evaluate rehab costs, I'm thinking my best bet is to find a vendor who will be willing to visit a property with me during the evaluation and give me an estimate of repairs. Is that reasonable to expect? Will contractors/vendors actually do that?

Appreciate any thoughts, advice, contacts, etc. you can offer.

Thanks,
Bryan (Dallas/Fort Worth)