"Could this be a time to pickup a decent property for a bit of a steal there (at least relative to how crazy high the market has been recently)"Yes exactly

Go through a title company3.

Due to the income earned in the landlord account that goes to the benefit of the client, you should cut the check directly from the account through the bank and do as the law says, hand-deliver or certified mail.

I'm in the market as well.

Quote from @Serena Lemmons: Hi All, I have been researching real estate investing for a while and feel like the next step is to meet some investors in the area that I can learn from.

The easier it is for someone to click on something, the less likely they are to be a serious customer.

Traditional mortgage from a big bank, 10% down payment What was the outcome?

No it was just like $10k.I overpay for rehab for $15k, House sit on the market for 4 months. 

The only caveat I will throw into this is liquidity.

From a transactional cost standpoint alone, the fees on the way in and on the way out require significant appreciation to break even.