Most people suggest you take matters into your own hands and file a protest online to get your home's tax assessed value lowered. 

And most expenses can be written off in the year...google safe harbor.

Online and offline.

I know the safe and common advice is to rent where you know. 

My background is in online marketing.

So, we certainly feel comfortable w/this approach w/safe leverage > 1.3 DSCR - Debt Service Coverage Ratio; 1.0 is B/E; 1.2 is min for bank loan; higher the better). . 

Each month, in fact, about 30% of the folks who contact us have in mind something that is not well suited to such a plan, and we are very up front in letting them know that - and either walk away or help them adjust their goals to something that will work.There are, however, many ways that an investor can use a self-directed plan to invest in what they know and build their tax-sheltered savings in a more safe and consistent manner than would be possible with a portfolio entirely based on the public exchanges. 

i find it a lot more efficient to pre-screen online and then have the conversation if everything seems ok upfront.   

Once you have an address of a property that appears to be in distress, you can go to the county assessor to find the owner (even online in some counties) for free (if you don't value your time), or you can use a paid service that will give you all the details right on your phone while you are standing out front, owner or non-owner occupied, value, comps, equity, vacant, even their phone number.

I've been on BiggerPockets a few weeks now and its safe to say this is the best networking platform for investment real estate!