But finding a real deal in any area of Houston can be a challenge, given the number of players.

You're competing with institutional players with deep pockets.That being said, focus one 1 or 2 markets and work very hard to establish relationships with the top commercial brokers there.

A baseball player myself, so I travel quite a bit, just curious how some of you in any area got started.

I can bring a decent amount of interesting players to the table as well, so worst case scenario folks get to me others in the industry.

Find out who the main players are in your area by setting up keyword alerts like 'Bloomington' and reach out to these people.

And the saddest part is that the press, the players and the public just passively sit and watch while it happens.How can anyone in good conscience foreclose on performing properties?

Is there a way to start using this techniques in a smaller market so I don't get outgunned and outbid immediately by the big players in town?

, but I intend to venture into my first deal with conventional financing unless a better opportunity presents itself.Why:  I am more of a long-term player, hence the buy-and-hold rental strategy.  

In fact, I'm actually a great team player.

The owners view (and mine) is that this is a building amenity and are happy to 'break even' on the costs while leaving the headaches to someone else.The big player is Coin-matic but they don't have the best reputation.