My thoughts: The wholesalers will find your email address anyway (If not from BP, the from a dozen other sources if you are active in the REI business).

I paid the big interest and made plenty of money because I source my own deals (nothing off the MLS).

It's been a long time that rents have been rising so I think the prospects of rents falling is a foreign concept, but just like prices, rents go up, and eventually they go down, so you don't want to be in a tough position with a high mortgage payment if that happens.This is all just my personal experience and opinions of course, and I could well be too conservative in all of this, but nonetheless that's my current thinking on the subject (and thanks for the compliment about being a good resource, I'll look forward to your reaching out again in the future :)

You either have to buy directly from the owner not another investor or source deals from brokers but you need to be credible and experienced to get deals from them.  

if your not a Canadian citizen/resident you may run into foreign tax on real estate in some provinces including Ontario and BC..You are better off investing in US since you are a resident and have more opportunities 

I was able to source a small supply online at a comparable rate, but as a contingency we purchased a bunch of reusable cloth masks and replaceable N95 filters.

The investor community seems split between DM and SEO.As far as populations to target, though--absentee landlords, estate sales/obituaries (be tactful here), tax delinquent properties, pre-foreclosures, divorce sales, and properties with recent evictions are all good lead sources. 

Larger firms (think American Homes 4 Rent, etc..)While I've looked for a source online to break down the market, I've been unsuccessful. 

@Andrew PettittMy first advice would be to set your objectives down (near-, mid- & long-term) in bullet form and find yourself an accountant to lay out a plan to meet your current and future needs while mitigating taxable events along the way.Holding your properties in your personal name in the beginning is usually the best approach - you can deduct expenses against your income (even income from other sources).  

This community is a great source of information.