I frequently look at loopnet and look through the offering memorandums.

I know for a fact that rental income can be used to qualify you for the mortgage, at least in my case this was frequently discussed between my mortgage specialist and the underwriters at the bank.What really attracted me to the home possible program was the ability to cancel PMI without having to refinance (like an FHA).

They've been late frequently in the past as well, more often than they are on time.

I’ve been hearing about self directed IRAs (Roth/Traditional) and 401ks being used to fund deals frequently.

In this situation we would be making frequent trips to the property. 

As mentioned above, try to list on as many websites as possible to reach the largest audience you can. 

The properties can look ugly, but I would shy away from bad parts of town as you'll have break-ins frequently. 

@Jake Wernitznig buyers frequently don't factor in the costs of landscaping new construction.

Is this a frequently used tactic?

We were looking at it more for the flexibility of looking at a lot of properties frequently, MLS access and being able to continuously put in offers without exhausting an agent who has other clients to focus on as well.