So I just purchased my first list from Melissa data on absentee owners.

However, maybe explore buying a trust, but talk to an attorney about that one. 

@Ian KeeI am just beginning to explore ideas about investing in rental properties.

I do have one investor whom I have worked with on previous flops as his buyer And listing Agent willing to finance with @ 65/ 35 split but I’m wanting to explore other option before committing.

My day to day job is as a critical facility engineer for a data center, with my specialty being HVAC and commercial electrical. 

Overall, the idea is that you might be buying a building at a 6% cap rate (or less) but when you underwrite conservatively using market data that you know and are comfortable with, you can run the building better than the current owner, make the building cash flow and effectively making it maybe a 9 or 10 cap building.A good example.

Associating with those of low reputation may not only lower your own but also lead you astray by the faulty assumptions, premises and data of the unscrupulous."

I haven't explored hard money lenders because I can't handle the high percentage rates and balloon payments.

So having MLS market data and analytics back then was super valuable.

We have already done a lot of research on pop increase , wage growth , job growth , % of renters , crime rate , etc. ( all from city-data, census , best-places , IRR).