To send them a message without booking the property, click on the listing, scroll to the bottom of the page and it'll say "contact host."

.- If you try to hire contractor directly, you have about a 90%+ chance of getting taken advantage of.

Happy to help point you in the right direction or introduce you to some great independent agents that work with us in Maryland.

Vacant SFH, absentee owner, 100% equityYou send a direct mail or postcard asking the seller how much they want for their property. 

The quality of answers to your are directly correlated to the quality of your questions asked.  

I love this concept of a developer working directly with a rural municipality to build affordable housing.

Alternatively, your sibling might use a 1031 exchange to defer taxes by reinvesting in like-kind properties, though this doesn't directly fund a primary residence.Other ideas include leveraging a HELOC on the rental properties for the down payment, taking out a 401(k) loan, structuring an owner-financed agreement, or a lease-to-own arrangement.

The owners at the time were directed to our Real Estate agent and she showed us the property as it was a good investment opportunity.How did you finance this deal?

DM me if you need a contact for an investor-friendly lender.

But for many people, it is one of a number of sources of deal flow, to add to MLS listings, wholesalers, direct owner outreach, auction, etc.Assuming you are specifically talking about sheriff auctions, just make sure you familiarize yourself with the general procedures for the auction.