Quote from @James McGovern: I no longer entertain buyers agents from CaThere can be many bad players in any transaction. 

Therefore, choosing the right investment city is the most critical decision you'll make.Critical factors for an investment city that will enable financial freedom:Cities with a population >1M: Start with cities with a metro population greater than 1M**.** Small towns may rely too much on a single business or market segment.

Lastly, every sheriff's auction has the same ten players.

Interesting article about “Squatters’ Rights” in California; how they originated and their intended purpose vs. how they are currently being taken advantage of.California's Squatter's Enable Tenancy Rights After Just 30 Days, Raising Concerns Among Property Owners About Housing Security

A great real estate agent will have all of the players in place for you. 

Hopefully combining these 2 strategies while enable me to get my first deal done soon.

Title managers are a great resource for market players. 

Hi, I’m Mike, a former Major League Baseball player with 15+ years in commercial real estate investing.

Second, running a management company would enable you to deduct a wider range of business expenses, such as office supplies, travel, and marketing expenses related to managing your properties.Another big advantage is that, as a property management company owner, you’ll have first contact with a lot of distressed owners who might be open to selling their properties.

In a market that is active you will have 5 to 10 players that will buy 90% of anything that comes up that is remotely a deal..