I think most of us would love to be the rehab deal finder and execute the deal all the way through to the bigger bucks but it isn't easy in every market, it takes a lot of skills that most new investors do not yet have, and long distance investing requires a super team that knows how to benefit the needs of their clients.

@Melody Jenkins Apparently, that deed was never recorded when it was executed, which is a common mistake made with transfers make among family members.  

@James Wise  I seem to recall from my high school history lessons that those that got rich in the California gold rush were not the miners but those that sold the mining pan's hardware tac and other services to those that wanted to strike it rich.. ( now to be fair I went to high school in Cupertino CA and we learned CA history)...I have no clue on this system or this individual however its just a general comment that while folks can and do achieve great things in RE its generally folks like @Christopher McClatchey  who have formal education means ( which is important) and ability to execute that get rich in Real Estate..

I am new to the game and by no means any expert, but I don't think you'll find an easy way to beat the competition.From what I have learned on this site and others, it's a matter of implementing whatever marketing campaigns you choose to execute and staying consistent with them.

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I'm hearing a lot of people talk about how fix and flip deals are almost impossible to find and execute these days and that the "window is closed."

I could spend ALL of my savings trying to get a job and trying to get on my feet, or I can find a job quickly, find a couple deals, get financing somehow and execute those deals well and get a great jump start on my goals.

These transactions are being executed at said borrowers best efforts.No information presented to said lender/s represents any final determination on investment performance.

However, when searching this person's name in the court records it appears that the "owner" executed a Quit Claim deed to another owner over 10 years ago.  

I had the executed contract in hand before I paid the back taxes and court costs. ($3 to 4k at risk if the seller walk's the deal; guess I'd try to put a lean on the property if I found myself in that position)  Within the last two months, two lots have sold nearby (same subdivision) for $55k and $57k respectively.