Hundreds die every year from it.Yet we keep getting into these metal caskets day after day, year after year.

I'm aware of a couple off-market deals that I've dug up for other investors, and I know a local investor that owns over a hundred of units that he'd consider selling, all the way from bare land, to single families, to multi-units including several apartment buildings.

You are getting very similar advice from people with combined hundreds of years of experience....this just sounds wrong to anyone who's done it a few hundred times.if I were to hire my own subs what do you think my savings per sqft could be? 

Source a hundred opportunities, make offers on ten that meet your criteria, and close on 1 or 2. 

Each time I go to Houston I love taking my giant brick of cash out and taking it to the bank for them to 'color up' into a few thousands bucks in hundreds. 

Anyone who is willing to sink hundreds of thousands of dollars into an asset based on a photo deserves whatever they get. 

He does taxes for friends of our that own hundreds of rentals.

This sounds like the beginning of so many of the hundreds of foreclosure/short sale stories I've heard. 

to me have enough cash to do these things without having to tap into equity.. snow ball your mortgages after keeping healthy reserves its not like making a few hundred bucks a month is going to change your living standards so dont take a dime out of the properties focus on one and pay it off..

don't say anything else after asking that question.Now if you are dealing with an agent - you are not going to have the opportunity to deal with the seller - so - you may want to just make an offer 25% below what ever it is list for.AUCTIONS: As for real estate auctions - I have been an auctioneer for many years selling hundreds of properties annually - I would like to say that we do not always satisfy the sellers reserve price (Oh - we only represent owners and investors - no foreclosures) but we don't always get the auction price up to the reserve - but the good news is that at the auction the owner becomes very motivated to accept a lower bid - thus a great equity profit is made ------ so do not discount auctions if you are looking for a great deal.Believe me I have seen so many properties sold at auction that have a ton of equity.Someone recently said "The best deals are MADE and FOUND"So ---- how do you MAKE a good deal from the many properties out there that do not look like a good deal?