So far I have financed all my flips with my HELOC and credit/merchant cards.

Welcome Maria,First thing I recommend is to get some simple cards that say that you are a real estate investor and that you buy houses.Second, call everyone that you know(friends and family) and have a 3 minute conversation with them letting them know that you are looking to start buying houses and that if they know anyone who is behind on their payments or taxes or someone who has a home that is just sitting there, please let you know.Third, network with other investors at meetups to learn the jargon and see who is buying and the different ways that you can too.

Find out a way to make it win win.  

You usually get an extra $50 off for buying more than one, and another 5% off if you use a sears credit card.

It would be a win/win and my MIL will be paying the mortgage at the rate she currently is at her current house with many more perks!  

I want to make a deal where its a win win for both of us.

I love to network with professional RE investors to work together in making deals happen and form long lasting relationships in order to make money where we all win.

For example, the sign-up link was set to transmit credit card data in plain text (http).

I met an attorney that specialized in evictions at one of the meet ups but have since lost his card.

Once you feel comfortable enough to make a move on the property you will need some luck in winning the property hoping its still available on the day of the auction.