While the MLS may have a few deals, I have had to find my deals through my own marketing efforts.

It's my belief that, until the 2 largest areas of industry and population make a concerted effort to diversify their economies, you will not see the type of growth possible for those 2 markets.And...I was named after my grandmother, but she was from Texas!

That finding leads is obviously a tough thing to do and requires a ton of marketing time and effort.  

I had to involve the police when first floor ran screaming at me in my car on a public street, yanked open my passenger car door while I was in it, and entered the car screaming at me aggressively while I was calling 911, (all because we had made every effort to avoid a confrontation with her), but the police only went to warn her, did not arrest her.  

And you'll make great money with a lot less effort. 

I finally just dropped the effort.

, big brass ones and "fake it til you make it" spirit, or simply the genuine desire to help people find a solution to their real estate problems.But most importantly, you need to START.

So you need to rely on your network of wholesalers, Realtors, investors, marketing efforts etc. to find off-market deals.

Genuine relationships are formed along the way, and I have found that leads and business have come just by listening. 

So lending on an owner-occupied property adds a lot of effort/cost (to adhere to the regulations).