My advise would be buy more than a 4 plex - go with 5 and over if you are going with multiples to cut out some of the competition.   

I would start with a Independent agent with multiple markets (companies they represent) and have them shop it for you. 

Also if you are doing flipping, in which case I suggest you look into Series-LLC and you operate each flip in its own child-series (if not clear why, ask for more details).I spent numerous hours researching from multiple sources the whole LLC question and asset protection matter and all the rabbit holes it opens.

I think tax liens as an engagement device is good.  

I bought 2 foreclosures super cheap, renovated, rented them, and then when I attempted to refinance, I was told by multiple banks that for at least a year (2 years in one case) the property would only appraise for what I paid for it.

Hey all, I've recently been searching around for deals in Lafayette, Indiana and came across this FSBO (For Sale By Owner) property that is actually 3 duplexes on the same street. I'm looking to acquire my first deal ...

If you are looking to purchase multiple properties per year, you may have trouble doing that.

So if you are purchasing a house with land, you typically would try to allocate more of the price to the house, as you don't take depreciation on land.If your goal is maximum taxable writeoffs and you have a number of other properties, you may want to look into cost segregation (but it won't be worth it if you only have this property).Keep in mind that when you sell the property, you'll have to pay tax on the depreciation (usually a 25% rate).Be sure to chat with a CPA about allocating the purchase price in a sale, as you need to follow one of the multiple acceptable ways to allocate.Also, depending on how the rest of your portfolio looks and your timetable for holding, being less aggressive in allocating the purchase to high depreciation items may work out better. 

I almost purchased the LLC on a commercial building with multiple unrelated members. 

Now, if you are flipping in multiple states, then I recommend just having one entity for that and then registering it in the different states.