I lived and sold Real Estate in the mountains outside of Denver for 10 years... stunning country, but getting into that market at the moment would be daunting.  

Cold calling works but the challenge with that is finding the actual phone numbers since most people have cell phones now.

As a read the posts in this thread I see a common challenge of new, wanna be investors:They fall in love with the dream and not the process.

I also really like a challenge, which I feel is missing right now.  

Investing out of your area can be challenging, but it can be done and done successfully.  

As one can understand it’s a daunting task to select an area out of 52 states.

I think the 2nd property is likely going to be the most challenging to acquire, although if the mortgage on the first place can be covered with rents, it should be possible.  

"once you add value, you get paid" determining how exactly to do that at times can be a challenge. 

However, from a risk management standpoint, one lender knows all your business and one lender could face challenges.

I stepped away from the forums for a few days to work on real deals.Re-reading this thread and your posts in particular, I think your biggest challenge is that you automatically get associated with all the other would-be real estate people.Part of the problem is your message.