I cold call and go direct to the seller and I have a 3 person team that pretty much just calls all day long for me.

Quote from @Dan Grove: Some combination of cash to seller, closing costs, repairs, construction, paying off arrears, assignment fees, commissions.   

they just aren't going to shine until after you've owned them for 10+ years.i'm personally trying to buy on seller finance right now. 

This gives you a foundation for making a fair offer.Secure Financing: Be prepared to show you’re a serious buyer with funding lined up, whether through cash, traditional financing, or a creative option like seller financing.Have a Strategy for Repairs or Development: If the property is distressed, outline how you’ll handle improvements to bring it back to productive use.

Dubai is a very transitory place where expats move in and out of, and this means lots of motivated sellers.

Maybe your seller just wanted to put it under contract first.

Maybe seller holds a 2nd, maybe partner with someone, maybe get some F&F (friends and family) money, maybe offer a higher rate for the 2.5 years the 2nd is outstanding. 

Sellers cannot sell so they convert them to rentals.

I had no money to put down on any properties, so I learned (a lot) and put in a lot of hard work and effort to get some properties under contract.Initially, I had no clue what I was doing, but I had the help of some people (and I appreciated that)I made mistakes that cost me around $30k (lost a deal due to my ignorance regarding title and escrow)The good news with wholesaling is that it doesn't take a lot of capital upfront, and you can start talking to sellers and learn about the industry in general.The other good news is that you can without a doubt generate revenue quickly if you do things correctly (having a good TC / title / escrow connection that keeps deals moving on the backend)That said, there are a few points that I've come to live by:1.

I'd be cautious of a seller that refuses to allow buyers to inspect the property.