I am trying to accomplish it by finding a competent, serious, mature lender who will objectively assess my financial profile and if I am approved, will fund the deal by closing.  

Not looking for a flame war or competing political diatribes. 

Some of these are areas that are seeing institutional players move-in and while I don't like to elevate them as the wholly grail of all decision making, they also don't chase poor tenant profiles ;) 

This seller called me but I wasn't able to get the price I needed to add his unit to my portfolio due to other investors with higher competing offers.

Thus, the most practical alternative is selecting a competent property management. 

Big players like Next Door, Zillow  (possibly Facebook)  took notice of this lucrative opportunity and are making a grab for market share.What can we learn from these giants? 

@Kurt Michaelson Thanks so much for the local meet up resources, I certainly plan to utilize them and orient myself with the local market, players, and knowledge.  

Approaching owners directly kept us from competing with hundreds of other potential buyers.

Unfortunately, a number of real estate players made a career selling a property on a land contract, and after collecting payments for 20 years claiming payments were missed and repossessing the property.

They watch their money grow as that discount property goes to rehab, gets clean, and is transformed such that it can compete with the other market favs in the area (like Princess Diaries).