I recently attended an REI meeting in Chicago & there were 1/2 dozen or more people who were looking for partners.Crowd Funding- Lots of rules associated with using this strategy but it works if you have the right deal & mechanisms in place.

If my level of interest isn't such that I really really want the house or that my schedule will allow me to be online at he scheduled end of auction time, then I simply calculate my max purchase price and set up the auto bid and walk away.  

Also any auto craigslist poster that you use and have some feedback about?

Like the mechanicals and roof.

After running through the beginners guide and picking around a bit, BiggerPockets seems to be a treasure trove of information.I'm a 27 year old mechanical engineer who bought his first house in June (who am I kidding...

There are a lot of realtors, insurance people, cable companies, auto repair shops, and and tech companies that don't deliver as they promise. 

(erentpayment makes you set up a whole merchant account and just doesn't seem practical unless you have allot of doors)- sends auto reminders to renters when rent is late, maybe even auto phone calls?

You should have a Realtor set you up on an auto email that feeds directly from the MLS based on your criteria.  

Getting the mechanics set-up is necessary, but don't get hung up on it.  

I looks like a huge mechanical octupus in the basement and takes up all the usable room, not worth it.