@Sean Cole  its regional for sure.. the ones I had in MS and AL  feed us the deals.. but lots of deals there ... its funny as we talk about this.. some parts of the country there are still plenty of deals others its very tight the deal ship has sailed and its basically pre 07 market.. one size does not fit all.in Oregon we have little to no OREO inventory anymore all those agents that specialized in it are out of business and back to doing regular real estate.. the foreclosures at court house that were 20 to 50 a week are down to 3 or 4.. with MASSIVE competition.. it all cycles that's for sure.. but I bet you can still roll into certain big cities and buy hang over inventory..

Hey Folks!I am looking to purchase a STR in the MS Gulf Coast Area...specifically Biloxi or Gulfport.  I am looking for a reputable realtor that understands the STR market.  Does anyone have any recommendations?Thanks...

Bryan,Here are the 3 main options to consider:1) Custodial self-directed IRA, lower upfront cost but watch out for transaction and asset based fees, have to go through custodian for every transaction, might be inconvenient for certain investments. 2) Checkbook IRA (aka Checkbook IRA), eliminate transaction fees, higher upfront cost because of special purpose LLC, but long term will provide savings and most importantly a convenience of having checkbook control over your retirement assets. 3) Truly self-directed Solo 401k, requires self-employment activity or small business, the best option if you qualify.

@Les Jean-PierreYou just have to prepare Schedule E as you normally would.

There are some lenders outside of actual banks that have special programs that will get you a grant that can cover your entire down payment under certain circumstances.

I am already prepared to provide surety (landlord insurance and insurance against property damage, etc.)

First you must be prepared to inforce it and second you must not show any compassion or weakness in regards to perusing your enforcement.Most landlords do not have the back bone to inforce this part of the lease and generally have a defeatist attitude toward collection results.

He specializes in working with real estate investors.

There are special rules on those.

@Garrett Diegel I at one point I will have to take that leap I just want to be as prepared as possible.