@Alyssa De Los Santos We hire "bird dogs" to build up our driving for dollar list, most of them are uber drivers or delivery men.

For investment purchases the classic scenario is "20% down" due to an LTV of 80% but if a bidding war drives the price up to $20k higher than appraised value, the 20% down is now 20% plus $20k cash requirement in addition to closing costs. 

We like to see a growing population and civilian jobs within reasonable driving distance of the bases in the area.

If you go down that path, spend some money to have an agent or lawyer review the paperwork to make sure everything is in line.Another option to consider is to drive through the neighborhoods you want to live in and scout out properties you would be interested in.

When I drive up and down the streets of the neighborhood, I see an unbelievable amount of rehab going on, and very few of the properties have the permit sign the city provides that is supposed to be visibly posted on the front of the house. 

or drive-by?

I personally do not invest anywhere I wouldn't drive to with my kids.

But Driving for dollars and going to the courthouse are the cheapest if you're willing to do the leg work.

@Jada WalkerFirst, I'd start with attending a Meetup to network with real estate investors.Once you've formed business relationships with them, then I'd reach out and ask if you could do cold calling for them (you don't need money, but you need thick skin) OR driving for dollars with skip tracing.

Regarding appliances, I had to personally drive 5 hours to get the refrigerator my wife wanted, and our range only made it thank to my wife's social media presence and one of her followers from across the country helping us by ordering it (it was only available for local delivery) and repackaging it for Fedex freight across the US.