Multifamily housing exists in very tiny amounts in our area so it is a very competitive area of the market, even compared to our generally competitive market.  

I know it's tough because the market is so competitive, but that's the nature of the beast right now.

There's a lot of competition in the city, but most of us don't have a lot of knowledge about the more rural parts. 

How and what you do will depend entirely on the area you are operating in as you will need to do as all the other student landlords do to be competitive.

Alternatively, you can use cash to purchase distressed property in nice neighborhoods that would not otherwise qualify for traditional financing and/or the owner wants/needs to sell fast such that a 30+ day escrow to fund a traditional loan would not work ... in that case your only other competition would be from other cash offers, thus eliminating most of your competition from retail buyers.

Anton Watt the best city for you to invest in is the one where you can enjoy the greatest competitive advantage.

what is your competition like?

While that sounds great, it ignores that it is a very competitive auction.

I have submitted offers, however, it is VERY competitive when you’re only working off the MLS.

I'm looking to start investing in these types of properties to start off with since the market is so competitive.