I would recommend you focus on a couple neighborhoods that you would like to live in; and familiarize yourself with that market.  

I’m pretty busy with my job as it’s a 24/7 industry, I don’t have time to handle aggressively hunting for off market deals however I could still do it with mailers, as I’m in no rush to purchase right away.

It's tough to swallow, but if it's not renting, it's likely as simple as the market won't bear the price you're asking.

I use Facebook marketplace as my way of marketing my rentals.

Welcome to the real estate hive.. are you open to exploring off-market listings through your network? 

-Finding off-market deals and securing financing with limited capital.

Are you looking at investing in Birmingham or other markets?

These were in the Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach markets, but I believe this is a factor to consider in any market you're looking at. 

Having a strong agent or team is crucial for identifying the right opportunities, navigating the market, and scaling effectively.Good luck!

I have a friend/neighbor that wants to sell me his house below market value so he can move back into an apartment and travel.