They are extremely rare, but if you continuously search (like thru auto-search), the deals do pop up occasionally.

Rents in Tampa sub $800 a month for renovated properties sounds extremely unlikely to me even in the worst location.

Sounds extremely dishonest and unethical, especially since Michelle doesn't have the cash.

Michael,I am new to investing but am extremely motivated to get started and build a portfolio of my own.

Someone please advise if there is some extreme risk I don’t know about by changing out to standard outlets.

@Gabriel Madrigal There are a lot of out of state investors that do extremely well in Columbus, Ohio.

It's the worst time to try and move right now with it being so cold, but at the same time I dont want her to feel like I'm ripping her off.

First of all I would advise anyone considering using cogo to find another option. Short and to the point instead of earning money I lost five thousand dollars just because I chosed to give them my business. 
   As a ...

I have read up on several methods, and have narrowed it down to what seems to be the most popular: Direct Mail Marketing, Cold Calling, and getting on some Wholesalers' lists. 

I plan to meet with a broker this weekend to gain a feel for the area, and then hopefully get into some DMM after researching on listsource, Costar, etc. as well as cold calling, wholesaler networks, and any real estate meetups in the area to broaden my network as much as possible.