I understanding starting locally, paying your land lord dues and making your bones in areas close to home from a logistics point of view... but after you've done a few, is it wise to continue in a less efficient area or expand your horizons to better investment arenas?

I found their meetings to be very useful.Kevin Amolsch runs a periodic meeting somewhere down in the tech center.

Once you are dealing with an approved short sale the waiting period goes down drastically.

This is not REO, I think it's a short sale, unless the appraiser website hasn't updated the owner information yet.I don't think this group provides a real inspection period--I can come by and see the house but I do not get an inspection period like you would with a bank--there is a $2000 non-refundable deposit to hold the place.I'll see if they have the power and water on.

I'm looking for ways to become more efficient in my work.

Once the money clears, the keys are given (plus some states have a 3 day right of rescission period as well).

Driving around for dollars does work, but it is much more efficient to contact your local title company or use a list broker and mail post cards to a list. 100 is such a small number that I would expect you to only get 1 or 2 calls.

The visibility of for rent signs is not relevant to me as all my tenants come from craigslist and that source yields a better quality tenant and a more efficient experience.

Utilities companies here have an "inspection turn on period".

You will not see a better buying opportunity than this - period.