Definitely stay active in the forums and look into several different real estate clubs that you can attend.

As a side note, I do not plan on becoming a hard money lender, but will selectively do up to four per year with this partner so I stay under the limit for my state of needing to be licensed as a lender.

See the BP Drive for Dollars guide - linkOther investors also send to probate (inheritance) leads, code violations, evictions, pre-foreclosures, divorces, and many other public records that might indicate distressed owners.

That should give you a good guide.

Conversely, we had our beach house at Ocean Park managed for 2 night minimum stays for 8 years by a local vacation rental manager.

They focus on working with investors and guiding them down the path to properly scouting and securing an investment properties throughout the greater western Washington.  

Check out the“Learn tab above” and download a freecopy of “The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Real Estate Investing”.

If you have the money and are going to stay in the home for some time, you can pay it.

All my properties are in the Fort Worth/Keller side of the metroplex right now, but I don't plan on staying that way long.  

Well, I fell in love with Tucson when I was 17, its been about 20 years and its still my mission in life to move there someday :) though with career and such I'll probably be staying put for the foreseeable future.