Knowing your target area is essential and not something you can do with a few superficial conversations with people.

If you are spending marketing dollars you need to make sure you are targeting the right audience "motivated sellers" and you do this by filtering the list you pull.

Should I target the zip codes in poorer areas?

Have a target property investment strategy going in (Multi Family Buy and Hold).  2.  

For me it's a gift card to Target or a local restaurant.

Your reinvestment target then becomes $900K. 

1) The argument can be made that if the same marketing list was targeted by both direct mail & cold calling techniques, you would get in front of more people, or "opportunities" with cold callers with the same cost. 

Yes the 55 plus usually does not want to have the property rented out and often makes the flipper wait a year before they can even rent as well as many other restrictions but with that being said it great market to target.

I am for sure trying to avoid Multnomah county or tri- county at the moment and possibly consider moving my target to the upcoming area in Washington state. 

I suppose in the long run it will be an asset since you can target the most promising markets instead of sticking to what you are comfortable with.