But I kind of wanted thaI'm also investing for the long term, so having the possibility of obtaining a piece of land without having to come out of pocket sounded enticing.

My hunch this is more marketing ploys to entice rookie investors than it is realistic to actually increase rents considerably in a short amount of time.

Make sure you're excluding distressed sales; distressed sales should not be used because the buyer pool is much lower and usually does not entice the retail buyers that same way a turnkey property does.

Unless you can entice them to do walkthrough (i.e by paying them), getting them to help consistently could be a challenge.

The auction site lists the low bid to entice as @Wayne Brooks said, but they are usually on the MLS for the lowest amount they will take.

I’m a very new real estate investor and the idea of wholesaling is very interesting and enticing to me.

@Max Murphy - Instead of a loan from family, maybe you can do the math and entice your parents to invest with you -- even if it's 75 percent (them) and 25 percent (you).

FHA loan sounds enticing due to low interest rates/down payment, but am also hoping for cash out refi in order to have equity for another deal.

However, if I can cashflow the same or slightly better, while paying down my Property valued at $750 rather than the $285, that does sound much more enticing. 

Lost jobs, harsh winters, and Baby Boomers retiring thus enticing many retirees to seek warmer climates does not bode well for real estate investors.