I think in more difficult areas, like Johnson County, you might really have to do some marketing (yellow letters, postcards, etc) to get some deals.  

I have sent out thousands of postcards and letters and so far haven't event come close to closing a deal with direct mail.

Focusing on my marketing campaign, trying different strategies: bandit signs, post cards and yellow letters.

Should I use yellow letters or postcards?

If you can do direct mail, use postcards rather than letters to cut your cost in half and focus on absentee owners first.

Focusing on a niche then marketing to your niche via:Yellow letters, post cards, lead generating website, etc....You have to ensure you have a pipeline full of deals or potential deals.

We send them post cards monthly and that is where all of our deals have come from to date.

There are investors here who purchase hundreds of houses a year and they blanket the area with letters, postcards and walk the streets.It's a tough market but if you jump in and keep at it you will be successful.

I suggest to just send a postcard or yellow letter every month until he contacts you.

Lots of help on BP doing yellow letter or post card campaigns.There's tools and services that scrape Craigslist for FSBO/motivated seller ads that you can filter for location.