@Ahkeen McFarlane, I purchased a subscription to the newspaper of record for my county.

I just met a guy who was buying foreclosures in the 1970s using the newspaper and a tax map.

Notice of default (foreclosure).. constantly stay in their ear , from start to finish.6. discharged/dismissed bankruptcy cases (get from pacer)7.Tax lien sale- published in legal news papers when auctions come up8.

I'm currently a page designer for our newspaper, but I'm looking into real estate investment as a supplement to my income (better than just letting the markets handle my 401(k), I figure) and maybe a way to becoming my own boss one day.

They are putting expensive ads in the newspaper and have very little replies.

Mostly, I appreciate not having the arguments going on in threads that have nothing to do with politics.One of my favorite pages in the newspaper is Letters to the Editor.

hi charlotte. i have never used a PI to locate someone, but i have several different methods i have used. first, find out if they own anymore properties in the area, even if it is a rental. they may have a tenant or 2 that would send you to where you can find them. second, check the local newspaper for obituaries. if they have passed away, the obituaries always lists the surviving relatives. find them, one of them will be in charge of the estate. also, call the local hospitals and jails, they may be in there as well. lastly, knock on neighbors doors. every neighborhood has the local " busy body" that knows everything about everyone. find them!!!!!........

I'll need to do some research to find the right market/submarket.I've been reading newspapers, MLS and using websites like citydata.com to look into areas but if you have any good suggestions on finding good markets/submarkets, I'd be interested in hearing them! 

Perhaps you could recommend any investors that could facilitate this transaction.For the past three years I've successfully studied & been involved with over 400 various industries as a designer & marketing consultant.Currently, everywhere you look people are buying and flipping real estate.It seems everyone is buying a home, fixing it up a little, and selling it almost immediately for a sizeable profit.We read about it in newspapers, online, and there were even television shows based on flipping houses.The flipping real estate business model works great.But here’s the good news for you . . .that same business model works in many other areas.You can flip non real estate assets just as easily, maybe easier than flipping houses.You can also use leveraged buy out techniques to alternatively buy & hold already existing businesses similar to properties also.Through the use of transactional funding I've realized that I could borrow a $250,000 swing loan from a bank, give that to the seller in morning.That would make the business mine.Then in the afternoon I could take all the assets that are in the business that I just bought and raise $360,000 (80% of $440,0000) the same day from an asset-based lender.Then I could take $250,000 of the $360,000 and instantly repay the transactional loan.Then, I'll have a $110,000 cash windfall in my bank account, which I could now use to run the business and pay myself a big bonus.The double escrow basically enables someone to do this: I never touch the $250,000 of the down payment monies put into escrow by the lender.The asset-based lender never hands methe $360,000 check. 

I hunted, I searched, I cried - the property was just not out there...until one morning I opened up the newspaper and there it was.