We think it’s important as it allows us to check for Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) issues and to determine if an applicant is living paycheck-to-paycheck.

I'm diving into some of the public county-level Zillow data.

They’ll often have leads on deals before they go public. https://www.biggerpockets.com/business/finder/agentsWith your experience in renovations, you may be able to find value even in these challenging properties.

@Kevin Hilton not sure which market you're looking at for your next purchase, but I have a lending partner who can do investment deals (including non-warrantable condotels) with just 15% down if it helps. 

This will help direct your search to the right areas, property types and price point.If you're purchasing all-cash, skip that step.Depending on your goal and preferred timeline for closing, the majority of your time should be spent searching for and analyzing deals.Searching: Look at public listing sites; connect with an investor friendly agent and choose 1 to work with who can search MLS and off-market inventory; for additional off-market options, consider growing your own database of wholesalers and homeowners Analyzing: Your agent can send comps and you can also search public listing sites for sold homes.

Waco is a great rental market because there are so many blue collar jobs that provide consistent demand for housing (I have heard that 80% of homes in Waco-proper are non owner occupied) but there is a lack of white collar jobs that would keep Baylor graduates here or bring working professionals from Austin/Dallas. 

Public records have information on every sale in your area.

Either way, it's just part of the process.I have been doing this for more than 30 years and my last four non-syndication deals that I was fully under contract on have all failed for various reasons.

But when I check public records... not so much!

Currently I charge a $300 non-refundable pet fee and $50/mo per pet.