After all, my personal house had nearly doubled in value since purchasing it a year prior and I was feeling pretty fat about my new-found wealth.

The best candidates for seller financing I have found are those that don't need to requal right away or those that still can in spite of keeping the current mortgage.  

LOL My statement was assuming that you had placed a fat down payment.Please don't take my posts offensively as I do respect the vast experience you share with the community, and do not intend to offend when I share my opinion.

IRA owned properties do not have the same tax advantages or leveraging capabilities, and can in fact complicate your IRA tax liabilities a great deal, while notes are simple because they are passive investments.

Go buy a dozen of those cheap little blank yard signs (the ones with the wire H frame work fine), a big fat tipped sharpie, and a lock box.

Network with as many wholesalers as you can in your market.

In addition to what you see in this thread, I'd recommend adding a fat safety cushion to your budget for all unplanned expenses. 

Consequently I've been devouring everything I can get my hands on and tearing through all the podcasts I can in order to educate myself as quickly as possible. 

Do I have to simply scrape together a few deals anyway I can in order to build that cash base before I seriously consider a large direct mail campaign? 

I try to teach and mentor as many people as I can in the community because the more others grow, the more I grow.