This is a great site to have all of your questions answered and great tool instrument as well.Anyway, I am a wholesaler here in Southern California and what I usually do to find my motivated sellers is carefully plan out my target list and area.1.

I agree with @Chris Farrugia   If you are involved in real estate investing, having your license is a important tool to have. 

After speaking with a real estate lawyer and financial advisor, I was able to get the advice I was seeking.For anyone that runs across this in the future, I want to tell you that regardless of other people's opinions, performing a short sale and/or foreclosure are VALID tools that are part of our financial/legal system.  

However, the options are endless and putting as many tools in your toolbox will be the best way you can go. 

@Juan GisonePerhaps the question you want to ask is "how versatile are my leverage options." 

If you can buy an apartment building at an 8 cap with just 4.5% interest and only 25% down, it's going to perform better than many other investment tools.

A "certified appraiser" can give you a "certified appraisal" that a potential buyer can:1- take to the bank, or mortgage company. 2- This is an excellent sales tool when it comes to a buyer signing on the bottom line, and unless your buyer is paying cash, it needs to be done anyways. 3- Is a solid and certified validation with regards to your asking price.4- Lets you know for sure how much money is too much money on the project /A CMA is subject to the RE agent choosing comps within a given area, and thus subject to that agents "opinion" of which properties work best on a comparative level. 

As one of the most important tools in growing a business, networking often finds itself overshadowed by what is seen as a more modern and effective approach - online marketingThe majority of businesses are reasonably savvy when it comes to using online platforms to reach vast numbers of existing and potential clients, perhaps through a well-timed tweet or a catchy blog post.

@Rick Harmon, thanks for the recommendation.As I previously mentioned, I am willing to pay the service for an online automation tool to do the due diligence.

Business PageThis is a much more versatile platform when it comes to marketing.