How to find deals in anti-commercial solicitation states

[Paul Lowder]

Hi all, I'm a big newbie who is looking to buy my first property in Columbia, SC in 2022. I was planning on driving to find a place that I could BRRR and potentially house-hack with. However, I just learned that SC has a law against commercial solicitation. This means that finding contact information through public tax information with intention to solicit a sale is illegal.

I'm certainly aware that I could choose to invest somewhere else that does not have this restrictions, however, Columbia will be my home for a while, and I know the area somewhat well.  I've heard of other strategies that funnel deals to you, such as building your own website, but this seems like a lot of work for someone like me who is only looking for their first deal.  That might just be a limiting belief, but regardless, I'm curious how others have dealt with this problem.  Any insight is much appreciated!