I think that there is a fine line between giving up and being pragmatic.I think that you did an amazing job of distinguishing both~ You still had the persistent desire to become a successful RE entrepreneur (and congratulations on that :}), but you were pragmatic in realizing that the rule of thumb (Not hard and fast!)

It's also hard to demand these type of "aggressive" terms before demonstrating value or distinguishing your services from the other agents in the market.

@Justin Prevatte I'm not saying anyone has to be exactly like those people and do what they do, it is learn-able, I learn from people like them on a daily basis.... there are thousands/millions of people who do...we are all different and have different stories, but all those people came from nothing and made something of themselves ....it sure as hell not going to hurt to implement some of the things they know to be true and what have worked for them and see if it will help propel oneself presently and beyond.

And note, I didn't say no "deals" are done, I am highlighting the reality of it, because I hear a lot of perception that one joins and "POW" there's deals left right and center flying around as though it's plugging oneself into a vibrant deal-flow, which is nothing at all what it is. 

A simple grey Toyota Corolla void of distinguishing features blended with the pack, hugging the bumper of the car in front.

Hence how I have time to be here on BiggerPockets to contribute.At the same time, your eyes distinguishing the not so obvious distress condition on the property like overflow in a mailbox, broken window, bent garage doors, tarp over car, talking with neighbors etc would require someone very devoted seeing, like I said, EVERY SINGLE property that way.If you have the time I recommend doing it yourself because even if the numbers from your research of the areas make sense, when you're there in the area you'll clearly see that the numbers might not look like what you thought the area would look like positively and/or negatively.

3) Is there a way to distinguish or classify which type of REO properties tend to be listed on the many different auction sites?

I distinguish between conventional lenders and non-conventional lenders.

The saying suggests that true knowledge begins with understanding oneself, as self-awareness serves as a foundation for understanding the world and one's place in it.To "know thyself" is to engage in introspection, to examine one's beliefs, values, strengths, weaknesses, and limitations.

What are the main characteristics distinguish the class level?