Try to do fewer mass emails and more targeted one to one emails.

And the biggest disadvantage are just that there are a lot fewer of them than 3Fs.

I think it’s dangerous for an unlicensed buyer to go directly to the listing agent, unless the buyer is very experienced in real estate, knows the contract and sales process inside and out, etc.

If you decide to buy after reading a thread or two… danger awaits ;-)  Honestly, this is a thing you need to REALLY plow into.

Because of the increased demand for rentals,  you sometimes see an increase in rental rates as @Jaron Walling mentioned because you have higher demand for rentals since fewer people are buying homes. 

The gurus will tell you to "just jump in" because they typically have your money in their pocket and have nothing at stake, but it's dangerous to believe you jump in without harming yourself or a seller.

I use Vystar for my refi, they have a lot fewer junk fees and they are local.

I’m originally from Houston so these areas aren’t incredibly dangerous feeling by comparison, but these are areas that the locals seem less desirable areas.

I ask because at the moment, and as Joseph eluded to, with how little inventory there is to purchase here coupled with the massive (and still growing) demand for housing both on the investment and retail side, solid deals that will produce good cash flow are fewer and farther between and so heavily sought after that when they go to a multiple offer situations the margins dry up pretty quickly.

NeighborhoodScout maintains a list of the 100 most dangerous cities in the US.