Here are the key steps to take.1.  

Passion is the number one key.

Account Closed  when I first went to Charleston 5 years ago I built the first new build on a street that would be considered the HOOD.. hands down.. and it was a risk .. but it turned out that myself and a few others have pioneered what was the hood on the West side of Charleston and proudly have transformed it.. you can do a new build there and have the house next door basically falling down and boarded and it will not affect values to much if at all.I would be all over the brokers if my escalator clause was not used..

I tried Craigslist & that failed, i tried job boards but keep getting blocked from posting, ive tried drop cards, knocking on doors, bandit signs, mailers, even facebook isnt working, nothing is.

The key word is "some", as it's not a simple rule. 

The key is finding those people and making sure you can work with their personality and vice versa.

In regards to the comments about profiting from the HOA's, The HOA's are Not-for-profit entities, If you owned the property management company that won the owners Board voted contract to manage the property, that's an option to make some additional money but you can't make money off of the HOA directly.I would also suggest paying attention to your competition in the area, apartment buildings, What amenities are being offered versus what you'll be able to offer with your unit, what are they charging versus your all in cost to operate your property, etc. lastly pay close attention to the interiors of the condos and apartments in your market since you'll have to offer similar or a better interior depending on the other amenities with your property.

Education is key.

The key difference is that apartments are valued based on Net Operating Income, while the others are based on Comparative Sales Analysis. 

Again, this is why networking is key!