Some areas are like this.Some cities offer good deals and in some cities the good deals right now are getting harder to find.If you can find a close in deal and the numbers work and it works as far as the amount of fix up you want to do (not a burnt out hulk)--your all set.But you won't know unless you look, and if that's not fruitful, expand your search area--but be sure you are comfortable with the renter base, because some areas with good numbers are very dangerous.Good Luck!

REOs are the low hanging fruit.  

Box to conceal my address.I created a separate email account for the business.I only use and list my first name on my Business Cards.Sure, it's not fool proof, but it screens out the low hanging fruit that would want to get stupid if it were easy.

It is very easy for AG Madigan to make this move and ease the pressure on underwater homeowners ... for a short while.The unintended consequence of this act is the additional burden and thus the additional costs placed on loan servicers and in turn on loan providers for making loans and collecting on what is owed.

or should I just call up some brokerages and ask for agents/brokers that specialize in apartments

There is too much competition for the "low hanging fruit," and there is almost always other people who are willing to pay more than what the house is worth.To find great deals in today's market, you need to be finding them before they are listing anywhere publicly. 

Pros:- It's a conservative strategy that is safe- It gives you a clear goal and doesn't require a lot of external factors to go right to be successfulCons- It takes a long time to see the fruits of your labor- You incur a lot of transaction fees (1031 exchange, loans, payoff, new acquisition)I would like to see included a goal to buy the house 20-30% under market value.  

The MLS and FMLS are for agents only and they have to pay a fee to access them.The agent should always look out for their client but they aren't going to work for free either.  

If you plan on prioritizing your list and going after the low hanging fruit, then I would use findtheseller.com.

The typical FSBO home sold for $200,000 compared to $265,500 for agent-assisted home sales."