I wanted to take a moment and a get a pulse on what everyone thinks is a "safe number" for liquid cash reserves (aka your rainy day fund).

The All Brick Homes with stone and concrete accents are beautiful and built to Last! 

As of this moment there is such a shortage that you don't have to be too specific.   

My thinking at the moment is this:1) The probate list is probably the most productive option to start with based on courses I've taken2) Code violation list is also nice and somewhat automatable (in the sense of outreach efforts)3) Driving for dollars will require paying someone around $10/hr and I'm not sure what I'll get from that.

It's a teachable moment for someone like me who may be interested in short term rentals, while dipping their toes in before going full force.

You can structure it literally any which way, thats the beauty of real estate :). 

Cash out refinances are better for any money you may leave in a deal (turnkey/traditional or leftover from BRRRRs), especially considering where rates are at the moment.

@Barry Pekin that was beautiful information thank you.

But wouldn't it be one of those, "holy crap how could we have been so stupid" moments if (and likely when in my opinion) it finally comes forth the problem is in fact chemical soil applications and the like?

Besides the ones you mentioned the ones that come to my mind are LoopNet (heard from others not very great) and the MLS listings. cant think100% at the moment but that's what I remember.