Buy Foreclosure or REO as Primary house

[Byron Scott]

Hello BP community, 

I am looking to get into real estate by buying my first home on a discount and live in it for a few years/ fix it up and then rent it out. However, I'm having a hard time finding out how to buy a foreclosure or reo before the investors get to them. Anybody have experience with this that can give me guidance or lives in the Atlanta/Villa Rica/ Paulding/ Douglasville area that actually knows how to do this? I'm looking to do something at least before the end of the summer. I just have to go ahead and get started in investing. Thanks for your help BPC.