Yes, you will be competing with a LOT of other investors.  

If you can find a fourplex, that would be ideal but everyone wants them so you won't be very competitive with a VA loan as you'll likely be competing with cash offers.

Make sure you find a Podcast player that allows you to speed up the playback.

If a contractor is booked 100% of their time working for an investor and his colleagues, that contractor is saving a LOT of money and time by not having to market or go out on bid appointments.And many contractors are happy to take that savings that their generating by having a steady investor client and use it to reduce their prices to that investor.In the end, the investor gets better prices, the contractor makes as much (or more money) and the contractor doesn't have to spend time and energy focusing on those things that aren't his core competency (like marketing and sales).Win/win.

My preference is local people for real estate.2) From the radio ads I've heard, they focus on competing on price of $100/mo.

If you are not doing it your self hire a competent PM.

@Suzanne Player, The seller must be notified but there is no requirement for when. 

Investors have goals which relate to numbers to compare competing properties.  

Invest in someone elses startup with your Roth 401k that you are not participating in as a significant player or if you are a significant player in that business, perhaps do a

To show just how quickly the market is moving, it's even one day less than the week before (ending June 6).Inventory is still low thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, with buyers in May finding themselves competing over the smallest pool of inventory on record for that month in years.