My thought was to just drive the areas and look for neglected homes and just use the repeated mailout method.

Welcome Joey, try the Ultimate beginners guide here, it was just posted.Beyond that get a good foundation to build on before you select any strategy like you state workbook text for real eseate agents, it's full of the basics and technical matters you need to know before following any method.

I then learned never to use that method.

another quick method is to looks at the cash flows of actual rental properties in the area.

Daniel H. every method you described relies on agent listings.

However, about 4-5 years ago I never spent over $500/mo on marketing and I would average 1-2 transactions per month.I am in the process of launching my first campaign since being MIA using the same method and hoping for similar results.

I talking about a REO after I get an offer accepted under my LLC name with my proof of funds and copy of deposit check...How do I sell the property to my end buyer and close...Im trying to flip a REO using the LLC Method

Sooo.. my questions is, what have wholesalers found to be the best method when marketing to pre-forclosures?

There are various ways to do this, as others have pointed out, and I recommend you use a few different methods to determine a reasonable rent.

I thought about just pushing this deal to my Real estate agent friend and watch him do it, seeing as this is my first time....Maybe I personally should just focus on the assignment of contract method and find some " high equity homes" to simply assign and push to some High dollar investor...