I have sent out multiple Direct Mail campaigns via postcards for absentee owners as well as pre foreclosures.

Hope you used first class postcard first and harvested the bad addresses to skiptrace and stop mailing to those.

Send the owner a postcard or letter saying you want to buy their home and pay them money.  

Or do postcards or door hangers.

First post card went to his mother.

It depends, if you have the money you can send letters or postcards the a list you can create using sites like listsource.

Would you recommend a post card or letter with our picture and story that we grew up in the area and are frustrated by bidding wars and you can avoid real estate commissions, repairs and sell to us quickly?

I am in desperate search of GREAT examples of letters and postcards that are being mailed that investors and wholesalers are using.

If that money is somehow burning a hole in your pocket then you can set up a small marketing campaign and use say $500 - $600 per month on letters or post cards for distressed properties then wholesale them.

I've personally had great success with both 6.5x11 postcards and professionally written letters.