Driving for dollars - best direct mail chances?

[Phillip Eddy]

So I'm cruising through a neighborhood I'm interested in investing into. I'm planning on writing letters directly to owners in this neighborhood and cold-calling those who I have numbers for. Wondering if those who have gone before me have had better luck with writing offers to older people who occupy the distressed houses, or writing offers to other investors - some of which are out of state. My neighborhood is quickly gentrifying and I want to ride the wave up. Many of the properties are existing rentals and the rest are owned by people who have lived there 15 plus years.