I'd really appreciate any advice, connections, or recommendations for a local agent.

Go get your own health insurance and retirement funds started.

To be notified of foreclosure auctions you need to: 1. get your local legal paper, the newspaper that publicizes them 2.

I would go to local meetups and meet other local flippers and see who they source money from.

Yet it's not just a local phenomenon.

The basic steps would be: 1) Buy Land- (up front cost) make sure you can build what you want ahead of time by talking with an experienced engineer/architect familiar with local codes and regulations.

I once started to sue a local MLS but they changed their position as long as I was clear in the listing that I wasn't the owner of record but had an interest in the property I was selling and they didn't want to open a can of worms.To make it easier I just started getting a specific power of attorney from the owner on title along with a clause in the PA that allowed me rights of access, etc. and the MLS had no problem because it was really no different then say putting a probate property on the MLS

Talk to local and regional banks.

Talk to a mortgage expert and look up local property managers.

Owner put out a "feeler" on a local Facebook group and immediately got bombarded by inquiries.