Back in my real estate advertising newspaper days (you know when newspapers were a cash cow and before the internet) we'd attend these conventions.

Says I need to post in 3 newspapers? 

Call every FSBO in your local news paper and ask all of them if they would be willing to hold paper on their home.

Here's why - In the last 6 months I have called every we buy houses sign I have found (which are basically nonexistent in my area, by the way), every newspaper ad, anyone that I believe may be in my business...solely for the purpose of networking with others, and finding deals.

then if the bank office news paper etc do a really good job I send a box of chocolate covered strawberries, a gift card, or something nice to their office once in a while. 

Like any commercial or newspaper advertisement, it is in the tiny details.

Then you can mail or cold call or both.Other cheap or free methods are driving for dollars, craigslist, Realtors, FSBO sites, expired listings, foreclosure sites and bandit signs if allowed.If you have the funds you can use billboards, newspaper ads, other offline publications., TV commercials, radio ads, motivated seller website, SEO, pay per click/adwords, facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, and other forms of online advertising and boosted/promoted social media postings.Bottom line is consistency.

If the city looks like it's doing a lot to promote business and growth, that's a very good sign.Step four, once you've rooted out the cities that don't have strong local governments, find the local newspaper websites and poke around.When you've narrowed your list to one or two great markets, call brokers, property managers, and local bankers and tell them you're interested in their market and will be visiting shortly.

Do you usually go online, look in newspapers, or just drive through neighborhoods?

Grab your local adjudicated newspaper, look in classifieds and then under the heading legal notices.Petition for probate, probate of heir-ship, etc, is the classified heading you'll be looking for.