Getting started on securing my financial future

[Joseph M Limpert]

Hi BP Community!!!

I live in St. Petersburg, FL and am just getting started out on my real estate investment journey.  I discovered bigger pockets from my real estate agent who helped me buy my first property 7 years ago for $285,000 and paid off a little over a year ago. I know that was stupid but it is nice having that piece of mind. Since then I have been saving up to create a stockpile of funds to start deploying on cash flowing and/or appreciating assets.  Since discovering the podcast and site in January I have since gone through 60+ podcasts and am using the analysis tools daily trying to find the needle in the haystack.  After listening to a podcast about tax notes this morning, and walking my own neighborhood daily for the last 3 months (for my health, not necessarily "walking for dollars") I decided to look up the tax records on a house that I know needs some work and is visibly in distress.  Low and behold there have been multiple times since 2017 that the taxes had a certificate issued.  This is the ugliest house on my street, It has boarded over windows in the back and I'm sure there are other issues which won't allow for traditional financing, it is slightly larger than my current house which currently appraises for $580,000, and if I could get it at the right price this could be either a good buy and hold ($2800+ rent estimate) or fix and flip.  I see a huge opportunity.

How do I approach this? Buy the tax certificate when it comes up this year and continue to do so since it takes 2 years before proceedings could occur? Offer the owner? Both?

Also since this person lives almost directly across the street, how should I approach this without making an enemy.

Looking forward to any thoughts, I'm really excited to be here, and to finally have a reason to introduce myself.