Each time I've not paid attention to those yellow caution/warning lights (similar to what you're seeing) it has cost me.  

I highly recommend the BP book on managing rental properties (yellow cover).

I may try Craigslist and sending property owners yellow letters even if the properties are not listed for sale.Thanks for your input,Ian

My third thought was how this conversation would go.I'd like to think that the skills I have would be useful in real estate, but at the same time, getting a Ph.D. made me vividly aware of how little I know about the world. 

Went out last Sunday in North Dakota driving for dollars my first step towards real estate investing looking at wholesaling looking for a good skip Trace app, or maybe just yellow cards any advice would be appreciated thank you

I received a bright yellow tag from the city about the trash and that I have 15 days to clean it up.  

Too many new investors send the same "I buy houses" yellow letters, to exactly the same lists.

mailers, web ads, yellow pages, signs... how are you going to FIND deals...? 

Most wholesalers I know still do a lot of "old school" marketing....like regular yellow letter or post card mailings to motivated seller lists, or bandit signs (where allowable by law....technically not allowable in Austin, but you sure sell a lot of them, don't you?).

One unit had a smoker for years, we cleaned the walls and ceilings multiple times and the yellow stain kept seeping through.