My family has had rentals almost 50 years.  

The typical price point is 120-180k for a single family house.

I am thinking of getting a list of leads and using the owner info to mail postcards or letters to find small multi family.

I will add my anecdotes: flipping has been good to me and my family, but we do it one the side, when we find a good deal. 

I’ve seen countless stories of families choosing between groceries and rent, or parents juggling eviction notices while trying to shield their children from the stress.

Frank, For a rookie investor with low capital looking to build a rental portfolio, the best strategy is house hacking: buy a small multi-family home with a low down payment (FHA or conventional loan), live in one unit, and rent the others to cover your mortgage.

In my case my bank asked for a few monthly checking account statements so they could see my spending habitsThe gift of giving- A few months back a co-worker was looking to purchase a home (not for investor purposes) and they received a "down payment as a gift" from a family member.

- What metrics do you use to measure "good"Ex "Hi I'm looking to buy a single family home in Richmond TX in the $150-200k price range.

Investment Info:Single-family residence buy & hold investment.

Even if you do find such a deal, getting it to cash flow after repairs and a cash-out refinance is extremely difficult, especially for single-family homes.