Holy smokes! 

If you're looking for a smoking deal, they are not your solution. 

I personally dont like YL for the reasons you mentioned, but pretty much all marketing methods work with enough volume (postcards, YL, flares, smoke signals, etc).It DOES attract sellers, since I know some great investors who ONLY use yellow letters.  

Yes, we (wholesalers) do all the heavy lifting and grunt work to find smoking deals.

Research the property for liens and such before you think you're getting a smoking deal.And as @Joel Owens mentioned, there is no telling what real problems this house has until you open those walls.

Holy smokes if you guys actually think snail mail is even worth a fraction of targeted FB ads I have a fantastic business opportunity for you guys to invest in! 

Im not 100% sure as to what happened but maybe a cigarette but went in there.

I inherited a tenant that smoked with a building that I purchased.

For this size apartment,, 4 people in a 600 sq ft apt,, would be like packed like sardines..I always set my occupancy well below the standard.. my 1 bedrooms were limited to single person occupancy..2br's 2 people,, studio's 1 person.. and no pets..and no smoking.. 

Landlords have a right to inspect to make sure the smoke detectors are operational (this is a requirementbin all states that I know of) and the property is in a safe and livable condition.