Finding "hackable" housing

[Lucas Howes]

I have decided that I want to buy owner-occupied housing in the Cedar Rapids area. I can put very little money down by making the investment owner occupied, which would free up money to buy more SFRs which is my main goal. However, there don't seem to be any multifamilies that would command the rents I would want on the MLS. How should I go about trying to find a property that fits my criteria? There just doesn't seem to be much selection. Should I try to find owners of property that isn't for sale and see if they would be interested in selling?