Just a little more research is involved to find the diamonds in the rough.

@Andrew Diamond you usually need to have a 600 credit score as anything below signals something along the lines of a recent foreclosure, bankruptcy, etc..

Some great ones in the area if you're interested in learning more are Black Diamond (Ann Bellamy), Justin Silverio's meetup, and the Boston Wealth Builders (Willie Mandrell).Best of luck and let me know if you ever want to talk more!

My favorite is the Black Diamond meeting in Waltham (alternates every other month with their Worcester location, next Waltham meeting is in July).

There are some places like Tukwila, Federal Way, Covington, Kent, Auburn, and Black Diamond that offer some great  buy and hold opportunities.

My favorite is the Black Diamond meeting in Waltham (alternates every other month with their Worcester location, next Waltham meeting is May).

so when I find that first deal I can pull the trigger properly.It's tough getting started here since the barrier to entry is high, which leaves less room for error- at least in my situation, so I'm trying to find that diamond in the rough!

If you buy all solid gold fixtures encrusted with diamonds, the labor cost will likely be a very small % of the total rehab. 

I'd also recommend the Black Diamond meeting in Waltham (it alternates monthly with its Worcester location, next Waltham one is May).  

You should definitely check out the Black Diamond meeting in Worcester (alternates monthly with their Waltham location, next Worcester meeting is June).