Boy scout saying: "Better to have and not need, than to need and not have." 

Hello All,I'm traveling to Portland next month and wanted to scout out potential investments.

If you are interested in being a scout aka a bird dog; you can make a lot of money by just referring people who need to sell their house to an agent or wholesaler.  

Most of the sites listed above are free but some of the sites listed above such as neighborhood scout will ask for a membership fee but will give a little information for free.

I know some investors that would never get their license because they don't want to be regulated by certain rules and they figure their time is better spent scouting properties instead of going back to school.

Some had success and other states said no dice agents can still do them.If you know 100% for a fact this broker/agent had nothing to do with the property in valuing it, sourcing it, negotiating it, scouting it then you can possibly do It on your own without payment depending on buyer brokerage agreement you signed if any.

I have no problem scouting out the individual cities I'm eyeballing and seeing what their stance is on their websites, but (1) some are very unclear and (2) I'm afraid to invest in a city that may put laws in place shortly after, stopping my strategy in its tracks (e.g.: anyone who invested in Nashville 1-2 years ago).Thoughts?

I can then spend all my time getting a feel for the area, scouting neighborhoods and building local relationships.

I've scouted Gaston county a few times now.  

We were in Boy Scouts together as kids in Ripley.