You usually need a couple of deals under your belt to get folks to trust you with their money.

This guy wants to move in one of his friends that fell on hard times also. the guy works with him and it he would help pay the rent, my response was "let us get some rent payments under our belt and then I'll give him an application to fill out".

Till you have a few under your belt your best bet is loopnet.

I think for me that will come in get the first couple properties under my belt. 

Atlanta market here, outside the belt line.

But so are half-a-dozen other major cities in the Rust Belt.

Rainier, MD) infant investor with just one vacant lot "deal" under my belt (more on that that come via a sep post).Myself and 2 other friends from high school are looking to pool small amounts of capital ($5K cash each initially), form a partnership, and get started with seeking a deal. 

As far as locations I prefer strong suburban to urban core and warm belt states where populations are growing.

When the crash hit it seemed like every Joe who lived in the rust belt or knew people who lived in the rust belt was trying to sell turnkey real estate.

Whats up BP community, I am a flipper and rental investor with 8 deals under my belt in my first 9 months being in business.