You could bird dog, cold call, canvas neighborhoods to find a potential deal to bring to someone.You live in Raleigh NC, a real estate hot spot that is more affordable than a lot of markets, can you help someone from CA learn your local market? 

I can tell you without a doubt that in my experience direct mail is a far better method than cold calling.

Then you can mail or cold call or both.Other cheap or free methods are driving for dollars, craigslist, Realtors, FSBO sites, expired listings, foreclosure sites and bandit signs if allowed.If you have the funds you can use billboards, newspaper ads, other offline publications., TV commercials, radio ads, motivated seller website, SEO, pay per click/adwords, facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, and other forms of online advertising and boosted/promoted social media postings.Bottom line is consistency.

It seems the owner may be offended if an investor is cold calling them to buy their current home because it looks portly taken care of.Has anyone had positive experiences with this and how do you suggest framing the initial conversations, and any subsequent conversations?

I'll also preface that this rental is in a market that is neither hot nor cold.

You're writing the check, so you are in charge, but you should still bring cold (or warm) drinks for workers randomly. 

Then you can mail or cold call or both.Other cheap or free methods are driving for dollars, craigslist, Realtors, FSBO sites, expired listings, foreclosure sites and bandit signs if allowed.If you have the funds you can use billboards, newspaper ads, other offline publications., TV commercials, radio ads, motivated seller website, SEO, pay per click/adwords, facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, and other forms of online advertising and boosted/promoted social media postings.Bottom line is consistency.

I might be related to the weather too, it becomes cold now. 

Try different avenues to get deals as was mention direct mail, signs, cold calling, door knocking, referrals, drive for dollars,  Get different lists and attack them such as code violations, absentee owners, evictions, probate, fsbo, pre-foreclosure and so forth.

You can also pull and very refined list, look them up on the secretary of state and cold call whoever is behind that LLC.