Hi @Sheryll Bauman. I suggest you go to a good number of auctions just to observe the whole process, learn a lot and study the faces there. Many of them will be investors and wholesalers. I suggest you don't attempt to partake but just observe and learn. As @Melissa Barnard stated, learn your state's laws concerning auctions.
I'm doing that right now where I reside. Auctions are a whole different beast by itself. You never know what you get when you win a property at an auction. It's like opening a can of worms. You have no idea the amount of repairs a property might need.
There are people at auctions who will know you are a newbie and if you try to partake when you don't know it well, they can set you up. I have no intention to bid but just to learn the whole process and later down the road make it part of my funnel for leads.
It is not easy to get properties cheap from auctions as it was years ago. Banks are not giving them away cheaply now.
You can also use auctions to network with other investors and wholesalers. Some will be nice and befriend you and show you the ropes.
I suggest other ways to find deals like going after off-market deals with direct mail, driving for dollars app, asking your mailman/woman, gas installers to help you with properties.
Mailmen/women can be a good source of leads if you offer them an incentive for every lead they gave you which turns into a deal.
Craigslist is another treasure many overlook. Just make it a habit of checking it daily or create an alert for RE with an email address.
FSBO (for sale by owners) is another way to get deals. There are websites with FSBO deals.
Consider building a website to collect leads. Many people go online to search for sites that buy properties. You can set up a site very cheaply on many free platforms.
