He's by far the most active BP member and experienced player from the Portland market. 

@Iris HernandezThere are a handful of regional players, but the two national banks that really out-compete on most projects are First Western Federal Savings and North American Savings Bank.The ability to apply the principals of leverage in your retirement plan, if used wisely and conservatively, can be a really great strategy. 

Maybe attend a local REIA Club as an "Investor" and get to know some of the players in your region before you expose the Money Lender hat.Call other Private Money Lenders and pick their brains local to your region...they usually don't have any problems sharing their experiences with you.Attend some Auctions to see who is playing in that sandbox, collect business cards and begin your due diligence.When you're ready, reach out to those that you pre-vetted above. 

The sellers are big players and wanting to unload small properties that are in need of a lot of work.

If MERS is so useful and such a widespread practice in the mortgage industry, why are there so many publications demonizing MERS and casting the entity as a key player in the 2007-2009 financial crises?

@Ed EmmonsInteresting note - UMH, 3rd largest publicly traded REIT, has been working with lenders to get a credit facility to buy rental MHs for their community at apartment rate financing - that's potentially a sub 4% interest rate as opposed to I believe 6-7% that they're currently paying.So... some of the bigger players in the industry are trying to make the case that rental MHs should be treated as apartments - and it seems like your experience lend credence to their case.

I'm a former D1 basketball player and full time student entering the world of real estate investing.

Once you figure on an area you want to work in, then you'll start to get to know the key players who invest in mobile homes there.

Any guesses on how a smaller player might be able to participate this time around (as the opportunity presents itself)...besides investing in a fund?

Foreclosure costs have been greatly reduced due to heavy competition (more players than ever before) and also due to automation.