If you brave the bees and get in to inspect after hours you might outsmart your competition on this deals and have a fewer bidders on the deal run up the price?

I have learned that I need to get better at quickly coming up with an accurate ARV, repair estimate, etc. in order to be competitive in this market.

Maybe @Johnson H. can give you some tips too, if he doesn't mind the competition..

Not cheap per se but very effective way to check out the competition.

This is one of those things where you have to know your competition.

@Dailin Fajardo I have invested in Miami Beach area and I love that market but it's extremely competitive, extremely cut-throat, really tough for an inexperienced investor to get deals or even attention from investors, agents and some buyers.

I hear though that its gotten competitive with that as well and harder to get good rates, but i have to research more the risks and details of how to do it.

Equity is often gained through negotiations and circumstances that allow a saavy investor to earn that instant equity at purchase, no matter if it is an REo, short sale, probate, or standard sale.In today's competitive market, REO properties can offer some deals, but you have to hunt them, negotiate them, and earn them, they are often not the low hanging fruit they were in 2009.

The depression, WWII, the opportunities that existed, the education level of the competition and the ethical environment that existed.

What that means is that there was no competition because nobody else knew the properties were for sale.