You're buying properties that are currently undesirable, and making them desirable.

Scour court records to find legal actions that may trigger a need or desire to sell.

The duplex (townhouse) zoning and row house or commercial zoning is more desirable as you can sell the units individually but I'm sure you already know that.

We are rehabbing this home to downsize to and then rent out our bigger house which is in a desirable school district.

There are 1 million + 1 factors why demand for a college degree has increased, but simply put - it's a requirement for nearly every desirable job today.

There's local effects like the tech industry, NIMBYism, limited growth, area desireability, etc.

Her desired method to make this dream a reality was to have me run around town and write ridiculously low offers on property after property hoping one stuck.

The property is more desireable from a rentability and sale standpoint.

You have to be sure to keep this information a secret until the end of the deal, otherwise they will come to expect it and it doesn't have the desired effect. 

As many know, the Seattle region has a housing shortage, and I think this type of housing would be desirable for people who have steady jobs and good credit but can't afford to pay $1500/month for a 1 bedroom.