How do new investors compete with the top dogs?

[Nate Hayes]

Established, long time investors and large investment groups have clear advantages over new investors like myself, particularly when it comes to acquisitions. Extensive buyer / seller lists, capital to pay cash for properties, consistent wide spread marketing...not to mention people doing it full time while many of us beginner investors are working at it part time on top of our 9-5 jobs. 

When you're just starting out, the cash is hardly flowing, and saving up for a couple of years to put that next down payment on a duplex you found on the MLS doesn't feel like it's cutting it. But finding motivated sellers to wholesale, flip, or BRRRR feels impossible when everyone knows that all you have to do is google "cash for houses" to get an offer. How many motivated sellers are sitting at home thinking "if only someone would send me a letter offering to buy this place!"

I'm trying to lose the scarcity mentality here...but how have others just starting out managed to scale beyond their first property to the first 5 - 10 doors?