Doing things the cheap way, I have found that this works for me, and gives things a genuine touch that brings really good deals in:Drive/bike/walk your dog for dollars (houses with unkempt yards, look vacant, ugly-ish rentals/multis, etc)Make a vocal list using your mobile's voice recorder of the addressesCheck them out on your property appraiser's site for your city/town (I find that making a spreadsheet in something like Excel or Google Docs helps keep track of this info)If the property looks good (was purchased a while ago, mortgage is underwater, owned by a trust or by someone not living in the actual house, etc) save it in the dossier for a letterWrite a letter (by hand) stating your name, that you want to buy their house, can close fast, pay cash, etc (whatever your buyers are capable of doing; it's good to know who those people are &/or how to find them FAST), leave your number &/or email (I use Google Voice - it's free and has TONS of goodies)Send it out with a stamp and follow up in 3 weeks if you don't hear back from them (as in, send a follow up letter, not the same one)This is just one way of doing things, but I know it can be stressful when someone says "just find a deal and get it under contract then go from there".

However, even out of state sellers will have a realtor, relative or schedule a few weeks in advance for them to come and show the place themselves, if they genuinely are looking to sell that house.

My houses really go through a transformation in the last few weeks, after weeks of work, it really all starts to come together in the last few. 

I genuinely hope this helps.  

It is nice to see a genuine welcome instead of the cut and paste SPAM that has become common in new member threads.  

I know it is more complicated than it appears but with determination and a genuine WHY everything is possible.So Delano.

I'm focus on B and C+ areas in the 27610 and 27601.These areas are transforming.

Indeed, it looks more and more that the only way the FED can conquer the completely out-of-hand inflation is by crushing the US housing market, notwithstanding the fact that STRs are becoming less and less profitable in the US as everybody and their mother transforming LTRs unprofitable at higher interest rates into STRs, not to mention the increasing regulations that don't exist in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.Some food four thought to be sure!

We would love to transform our cities and communities - one building and one block at a time, while generating great returns for our investors. 

Only pitches I've sat through are ones where I genuinely am interested in the product, or where they give me something (like a free stay in Vegas), and even then, by the end of the pitch I tell myself "never again."