Since the property is unoccupied and there is no one contesting the foreclosure, wouldn't it make sense to get it before the auction where there will be competitors?

If I take a long time to get them my offer they might call my competitor because they are so motivated to sell right away.If my ballpark estimate is acceptable to the seller then I drop everything I am doing and meet with them to view the house and sign the contract.As far as farming an area, that's for retail real estate agents.

My big goal over this next year is to bring down my cost of money as I know I have lost out on some good deals because I have to account for higher financing costs than some of my competitors.

It would be nice to get a legitimate competitor into the field because Realtors essentially have a legalized monopoly. 

Answering the phone may be your biggest advantage over competitors.

Spend time building an attractive company page that tells your unique story.Research your competitors: See what other companies are offering and how they word their job descriptions.

We are currently looking at a southern fried chicken concept (hint: KFC's largest competitor) and I'd love to hear any input from folks in this space!  

But, I am also compensated for allowing those animals as I make that very clear on the rental listings, and get more tenant applications and likely command a higher rent from qualified applicants than competitors who do not allow pets. 

Who knows of platforms out there like Bigger Pockets that are resources for REIs, and may be considered in competition with Bigger Pockets? What are your thoughts on them? For example: Renatus, or groups that convene ...

It worked very well and my company and my team thrived while many of our competitors faded away.