The new Clippers Stadium is literally in my back yard.

But it may not be simple and the wholesale contract may not give you any rights. 

Mail out flyers is the best way.You can drive around the area that you are interested and see if it looks abandoned and find the owner.It's off-market so it means a lot of manual work on finding them. do a simple internet search and you will find many ways.

Also, if I had no desire to at least take time to  see it, Id make life simple and invest in a CD or high yield fund. 

This approach reveals more about the tenant’s behavior and reliability beyond simple yes or no answers.Check multiple referencesContact at least two previous landlords for a comprehensive view of the tenant’s rental history.

You can usually find some events by doing a simple google search.

How would I do that - send them a formal invoice or request, or can it be less formal like a simple email? 

Your mentor has needs; try to meet them and develop a mutually beneficial relationship.A mentor can benefit your growth, but it's not as simple as one post on a forum full of strangers.

For something as simple as a deck the permit approval takes a MONTH then they want to inspect the hole for the footers, then they want a separate inspection once the footer is poured and the window to get those inspections done is from 1-3pm and maybe the guy shows up in that time window, maybe he came early and you missed him and need to reschedule, or maybe it's 3:30 when he shows up in a terrible mood and fails you for some ridiculous reason, or maybe they tell you at 3:45 when you call in to see where the inspector is that he won't make it that day and you've wasted 4 hours waiting on some city employee to show up... there is no way to price that into a quote.A more experienced contractor will have better pricing from local suppliers they use and trust than you will ever get as an out of state investor - they spent years earning those discounts and trust the product supplied. 

While it’s relatively simple and can help you find deals, it’s also time-consuming.