Become an expert or the market, if you can find the time to become an expert in more than one market knock yourself out...But lot of relationships are built on volume or consistency...

If you consistently analyze properties, it will be much easier to recognize a good deal when it shows up.5.

Well...the Dayton Dragons baseball team has the most consistent sold out games of any sporting team in North America (startling fact), Warped Wing opened a second location, and a half dozen other breweries are now open in the city...Boston Stoker coffee is totally awesome and has several new locations (this is important because it's a key indicator for the successful revitalization of many cities...beer-food-coffee is key)...there is a river front development that is reminiscent of Columbus (which was awarded best on the country), there is big inner-city revitalization...I saw a developer by the name of Simms pre-sell 24 $500k "Brownstone" townhouses in the center of downtown (unheard of in Dayton)...there are 30 renovation projects going on downtown...and they now have a full time staff on the streets to keep the city clean...the population is on the increase for the first time since 1964....I mean this is pretty superficial, but it's every bit as important as economic indicators...there is a lot more to this...There are still "war zones" in abundance in Dayton and it's the Opiate Overdose capital of the USA...but getting better rapidly...just proceed with caution if you elect to invest there...a local subject matter expert is a must!

I am on 20 or so wholesaler lists and get emails from 1 or 2 of them consistently. 

Not to mention those times when I may be sick with the flu.Make your place consistent with what is expected for the neighborhood.

Then as far as the residential space goes, your first year typically consists of working your "sphere".

@Bryson Gilbert take the total sqft and multiply it by $35/ $40 ( this is how we do it in Texas).

Once you've got got that strong, debt free foundation with small, consistent investments in the best companies the world has to offer, go all in on real estate. 

It consists of 15 SFHs and 2 duplexes.

I have used the toothpaste-consistency bait that you can put behind appliances and inside of cabinets.