But am wondering if I can buy directly from the city.

So the first seller agrees to direct title to holds the funds and when you close on that purchase you record a new note for the first seller on the second home.

DM me, and I’ll point you in the right direction!

I’m going to disagree with @Chris Seveney and say whether an assignee could force a sale directly would be a state law issue and heavily dependent upon the contract terms. 

To pay my contractors and employees I collect their bank information and can send an ACH directly to their bank account. 

I can talk directly with them afterwards if I need more questions answered. 

If you need further help, DM me, and I’ll point you in the right direction!

It’s a great way to grow faster.HELOC or Equity Tapping: If you have equity in another property, using a HELOC or cash-out refinance could help cover the down payment without affecting your DTI as much.Seller Financing or Creative Deals: Look for sellers willing to finance directly, which bypasses traditional mortgage qualification hurdles.Scaling quickly often involves combining strategies—play around with what works best for your goals.

Please feel free to direct message me if you live in the El Paso area and/or would simply like to connect, thanks!

If you're not using Hard Money and the property won't qualify for conventional financing, then you'd probably need to locate private money or if you have friends with IRAs, they can be self-directed to invest in real estate.