After a while of doing both apartments and townhouses I am now turning away from apartments and looking at townhouses exclusively for new units.

I'm just not too interested in signing an exclusive listing agreement with a tenant broker yet.

Read the local newspapers and websites to keep up on what neighborhoods are going to be affected and focus there before they become hot.

I have started "driving for dolllars" as they say, looking for FSBO, uncut grass, newspapers and flyers, for rent even and I am starting to find leads.

Jacob -You can get probates at the courthouse, but you may also be able to get them from another source; possibly on line or in your newspaper.  

The issue is that it is not a simple business to really be in exclusively in most markets.

Investor to investor if you are going to be running the property out, I would write on a piece of paper to the seller that I never intend to live in the property as per Dodd FrankIf the seller is a residential owner and they are doing seller financing to you when you going to live in it as a primary residence, then they generally fall under an exclusion if it's a primary residence and they're only doing one deal every 12 monthsFor what it's worth, I have an RMLO under write my TBers for my lease-option assignments because I want to seller protected in case the tenant buyer brings the seller to court

Tell them you charge the 1st months rent as your fee and that you are non-exclusive...  

Doesn't mean there were no rentals available (newspaper, yard signs, etc).

Standard markets generally offer better coverage at lower rates and are more uniform than excess lines coverage that can include exclusions on thing like earthquake coverage.