Also, high days on market properties are worth digging deeper on to find seller's motivation and potentially unlock a good deal.

When offering incentive such as bonuses you must question the effects of this type of motivation.

Most sellers that are open to selling you a deal off-market are just like I was with my rentals: the way to motivate them to sell is to give them a price HIGHER than they think they can get on the market.  

Also you seem to be motivated to build since you already have these lots. 

Seller was extremely motivated to sell and we closed pretty quickly.Here's the issue- we've been unable to rent the 2 renovated units.

Understanding their motivations allows you to frame your offer in a way that aligns with their goals.

I'm very trainable, detail oriented, and highly motivated.

Low cost housing is a huge motivator to change behavior and keep their housing voucher. 

I set up my daily time blocks on GC and watch the ted line steal my day away for motivation.

I'll let others chime in on their experiences, but from a motivational perspective, I think attending live events and getting the "conference high" is something that only happens through in-person connections and being in the same room with investors who are eagerly pursuing their real estate/financial goals.