This was before online marketing and bandit sign popularity...Just pure hustle and desire to succeed.I currently have a website, facebook page and other networking platforms that I market on.

In Portland I was talking with a Lux builder and he said it appears the floor on the lux moved off of highs by 10% to get sales this fall ( he has two in contract)  so 1.5  sells for 1.350.. but in those markets that all pure profit he is losing.. but still making money.. 

I don't know one person who has invested in these markets that did so on a pure cash-flow basis over the past 5 years.

We also buy pure rentals when the number works. our market is class A properties managed all over the country as "home" is only relevant to the current set of orders.Definitely check out the podcasts, blogs and forums.

@Steven RofferI have read a million post on here about lease option assignments and owner finance type deals and when it comes to pure knowledge about putting these deals together and the legalities behind it @Brian Gibbons knows his stuff and is extremely helpful.

Also have excellent credit, although that does not seem that important anymore. lol If your net positive cashflow from the rentals, using the post-refi mortgage payment not the current one, is 2.5x your personal housing expense and you have no consumer debt (such as if you pay it all off with refi proceeds), there's a chance it could be done based purely on the rental income, as a Fannie loan.

Owner just has a note/debt pure monetary charge, no legal ownership at all. 

Lots of cash buying in the area.I have also seen some financing buys that must work out to be pure equity/appreciation gambles in that area.In the event that you DO fine a price point that works you will likely have to compete with a favored cash buyer.

Purely negotiable, what did your accepted contract say?

I realize my post is a bit different from the pure investor stand point, but I thought it may help give you some insight.