SpaceCoast - 2 Questions - Foreclosures and GC's

[Adam Marx]

So I am not sure if it is better to post two seperate questions but these are two things I have questions about.  

I was considering writing letters to pre-foreclosures I find online offering to buy the property.  Has anyone had success going this route? I understand it is going to be a higher stress situation as the thought of losing your home can be overwhelming but I could see myself taking an opportunity of someone buying my house over losing it to the bank.  At least this way I end up with money in my pocket and I do not have a bad loan on my credit.  If there is something I am not considering regarding this please let me know.  Also, I have found some websites, along with a few listing through BP for some foreclosures.  If anyone in Florida knows of reliable websites I would be appreciative.  I believe I can go to the county as well and actually pay for a list? I know that can be done with cars so I'd assume the same can be done with homes. 

GC's - This question is more for learning to do the numbers. I am having a hard time getting GC's to want to help with numbers even if I ask for a range as suggested on the BP podcast. I am working on finding more GC's to help build those relationships but the most common answer I run into is give me a call once you are ready to purchase a property. I am simply attempting to figure out the FMV on repairs so I can practice working numbers on deals to get more comfortable with this prior to jumping in and purchasing a property. Again, any advice is appreciated. Thank you.