Perhaps combine a direct mail campaign with your text message and cold call campaign.

Try driving for dollars, networking with brokers, and direct mail or cold calling for off-market leads.

After I got good at pulling leads that work, I can switch that ratio and spend $3 on leads and $7 on sending something to those leads;  post cards, sms, rvm, cold calling.   

I’m relatively new to wholesaling, and I’ve been diving into the process—cold calling, direct mail, and driving for dollars.

You are looking for issues with the foundation and any other exterior anomalies like giant trees that could be in the sewer line or pressing against the foundation of the house, evidence of buried tanks, where the septic and leach field is, etc.There are plenty more things to focus on as well, but these four are often neglected by newer out-of-state investors relying on an agent or friend as their boots.What else did I miss?

The fact that they contacted you cold even though, I assume, you have ZERO interest in selling your rental pretty well sums up most of the marketing done by wannabe wholesalers.

Looking back 15 years later, I should have pressed much harder, the opportunities were too good. 

I'm getting good results for our clients with postcards and some paid ads, but I'm looking at implementing cold email and cold calling as well.Any good companies to buy lists from?

It is normal to get cold feet but the main thing is to do the best due diligence you can do prior to going under contract-  "Pre-DD". 

If the landlord was aware of his past, yet rented to him anyway - any lawyer worth their salt would make a nexus between those two pieces of information and create a liability claim.In addition to the extreme negative press you would get, it also takes time, money and energy to defend a lawsuit you will eventually win.