If you see a listing that might have some selling clues in the description (i.e. needs work, owner moving, divorce, etc) or one thats had a recent price drop or a deal thats fallen through, don't be afraid to put in an offer of say 150k on a 200k house.

If you had any clue about plumbing you'd understand why. 

I love hearing insight from hosts who have solved this common pain point.

Many of the investors I talk with are looking for a  turnkey answer that solves for most of the problems in the investment.

., but most sellers have no clue how to manage being a lender.

Solve the problem.

Lastly, if you don't need to live off the cashflow another way to solve this would be to save/stash the cashflow from the properties for the first 3-6 months in order to "build up" the reserves over time - this is, of course, assuming that there is cash flow from each property.

Pay particular attention to the yards, driveways, and exteriors for clues.

Solved the problem for $2,300 and had an annual 22% cash return on my investment (purchased for cash).2.

The last thing you want to do is shop it yourself, have no clue on the bank's closing rate, and guidelines, and pay for an expensive appraisal with no loan.