Go places where you can connect with potential buyers and sellers. 

Went and viewed about 10 properties, made an offer on one without a buyer's agent, so that the selling agent would double end the deal and they accepted a below ask offer at a time when prices were climbing.How did you finance this deal?

There will be less buyers to compete with => better price for you!

@Greg Scott has some good points for new investors to consider in general for any syndicated deals.On "Some syndicators have so many fees (acquisition, construction management, asset management, capital event, disposition) the syndicator is going to get rich even if the deal produces zero return for its investors"It sure is buyer beware or investor be-aware!

Ive been told to build a huge buyers list to just get it under contract and market it.

Yes first-time buyer DSCR is actually fairly common, especially here in Southern MI. 

While not my main area of practice I represented a Brooklyn credit union lender, some buyers/sellers and a few landlords in real estate transactions and rent arrears cases.While we had successes and some failures along the way I ultimately concluded that I wanted to do something different with my life and cashed out of the business.

In this scenario it is very tricky depending on the end buyers finances if you are looking to sell it to an "end buyer" and not an investor. 2.

And all the deals I do the exit on a fully rehabbed home that I fund and pay for the rehab etc for my clients. is basically 250 and under .. there is not an issue with affordability in much of the US the issue is buyers preferences.

I am considering getting into this space (looking at some courses), but worried that its too late, and that deep local market knowledge/understanding of buyers/connection with developers etc is required to make this work, which only incumbent/long term investors will have and would be hard for a new entrant starting from scratch to catch-up...is my hypothesis valid in your opinion ?