You could also try looking up money judgements filed against local businesses at the magistrate level and target them with direct mail or driving for dollars. 

Click-through rate (CTR) helps measure how effective your ad is at grabbing attention, and if it’s low, you might need to adjust your targeting or creative.

Here’s our OPINION for the Metro Detroit market (use as a template for your target area!)

You'd think 60 years would have cleansed all that but it hasn't.You might target social service and local agencies since this property was in the past a half way house or similar and was only converted to market housing to make the sale to you.

Sounds like you've started your research on OOS investing, but the single best piece of advice I can give you is to establish a trusted investor-friendly agent who will be your boots on the ground once you decide which market you want to target.

out of state is more difficult than advertised. do you already own a primary residence? 

You can only target owners with paid off properties who don’t need the money right away.

With $50k, you likely have enough to get started, especially if you target lower-cost markets or use a strategy like house hacking.

I’ve had to widen my search radius to smaller suburbs or target properties needing light cosmetic work to make the numbers work.Value-add opportunities: Adding amenities tenants love, like finished basements or upgraded kitchens, seems to justify rent premiums in this market.Navigating the competition:Be creative with financing: Seller financing or partnering with other investors has been helpful to secure deals when conventional offers didn’t cut it.Work with local agents and wholesalers: They often have their finger on the pulse of off-market opportunities, which is critical in a hot market.For those new to suburban Chicago investing, I’d say the key is finding the “sweet spot” neighborhoods—ones on the rise but not yet maxed out in price.

Most people who advertise credit repair are just an agent for the real company that does the repair.