To decrease your learning    curve a local mentor who does not drain your wallet is a good option.2) Your mailings were not targeted enough.

Past performance of the fund is attractive, and since I want maximum growth and not monthly income, the fund facilitates automatic reinvestment of monthly interest for compounding of my investment.

It does depend on the type of leads you are looking to attract. 

Do these neighborhoods attract strong tenants?

I am attracted to the cash flow in the mid west cities but I would also like potential for appreciation which they don't seem to have too much of. 

Your deals is how you will attract a buyer, not words on a card.  :-)Best of luck!

Pulling probate data from courthouse records can be a bit tedious however that makes them all the more attractive as not everyone has the patience for the research.  

Being on the other side of owning too many for 20 years, I can see how a minimalist lifestyle could be attractive.   

I do realize that there are a lot of investors out there who are simply going to be attracted to a pitch that points out all the amazing things about the deal.  

It shouldn't be that expensive, but you will need a bullnose metal edge which probably won't look attractive in a classic house like this.Here are before / after of hardwood on a flip I did 15 years ago