Best place to find off-market homes?

[Rebecca Tablada]

Hi all - I'm new to BP and relatively new to REI. I am interested in renting SFH in the Norcross/Duluth area, but with the market the way it is, I won't be able to find anything profitable through MLS/Zillow/etc. I've read through a handful of posts here, and a number of you have mentioned finding homes off-market as the best bet for success. What is the best way to go about this for a newbie like myself? Do you advise I get my real estate license? Do I need to just take this time to continue educating myself on the industry and adding to our savings for down payment until the market cools down a bit?

Thanks in advance!