When you charge under market rent, the IRS deems that you do not have a profit motive and, therefore, disallows all rental expenses. 

If the sell is motivated enough, then the wholesaler has all the value in the world.

The only other advice that I would give is if your primary motivation is to save on taxes, don't do it.

IE motivate them for money. 

Multiple people had some bad things to say about the area, but when I moved and realized that it was a low income area with a lot of homeowners, I was motivated to improve the property to match the effort my neighbors have put in. 

First and foremost, I'm incredibly sorry to hear you were impacted by the fires.

From digging into real time market data and calcualting cash flow.. to literally driving for dollars, you want someone with an incredible network of pros who can unearth leads (probate attorneys, divorce attorneys, local fix and flip circles) that might connect you with a ready buyer or flud tenant.

I also understand that some cash buyers, unlike many of those motivated by greed, are honest and knowledgeable, however I find it difficult to identify them.

Quote from @Wale Lawal: @Damian WalkerAs a real estate investor, it’s your job to find motivated sellers every possible way you can.

Are there any creative ways you’d recommend for me to identify and approach motivated sellers or uncover foreclosures?