Picking your phone and calling all potential real estate sellers will give you an edge and make you stand out from the competition.

@Jimmy Calabrese I am assuming this is in reference to "in person" conversation or phone conversation and not email.  

I started off with bandit signs and I've been getting a few phone calls here an there, but nothing concrete.

If they don't have one pick up the phone and call them.

You can require the applicant confirms the showing an hour before or text them an hour before to confirm. we've all been stood up before and this happens to all landlords but you can ensure your not wasting your time by confirming before you go out there and scheduling them all within 10-15 minute increments within a specific 30-60 minute timeframe. dont forget to ask pre-screening questions.there is a section on how to pre-screen below and shows your minimum applicant criteria that you share over the phone, this will help you reduce wasting yours and applicants time:https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/01/2...good pre-screening questions to ask:http://www.tenantscreeningblog.com/tenant-screenin...

I live 40 miles away, so I called the owner of the biggest plumbing co in the city and he and 2 techs drpped everything to get to the property within 10 minutes of my call.I had put a garage outdoor access remote on the outside of the house.. they couldn't get in thru that because THE POWER WAS NOW OFF.Luckily i had put a coded door knob on the kitchen door that opens to the deck-- i gave them the code and they were inside instantly.The water heater was STILL SPEWING WATER full blast in a stream so strong it was hitting the second story ceiling and hitting the ELECTRICAL PANEL also located in the garage and that's what had knocked out the power .The plumbers immediately turned off the inside water main cutoffand sent me photos of the EMERGENCY SITUATION the pm so calmly let me know about by email an hour earlier.i fired the pm co that instant and got on the phone to start farm (my rental policy ins co) whiledriving an hour to the property.i also called the city's best WATER EMERGENCY REMEDIATION COMpany while en route.When i got there, the water was turned off ( finally)the drywall ceiling had fallen in, the light fixtures destroyed, the garage door open case was HALF FULL OF WATER and there were 1000s of mold blooms on every surface and hundreds of stacks of spiky growing black mold (looked like iron fiilings we used to play with in that game we all had as kids where u use a magnet and drag the iron filings around to put hair and a mustache on the bald guy cartoon photo) the mold spikes were 1.5" tall on the woot railings and stairs going into the house, on all of my beautiful built in wooden garage shelves--- what a mess-- like the streets of Beirut after the bombs went offand I don't have allergies -- but i could not even STAND inside the garage because the WET MOLD MILDEW SMELL was so strong it instantly gagged me and gave me a headache and i couldn't breathe.So here Ewe are on Jan 17 and now i know that the BEST rental dwelling policy dies NOT COVER MOLD REMEDIATION AT ALL ( so far $14,000) but it does cover water damage with a $2500 deductible...

I have talked to a few of the owners on the phone and at least made a few local contacts.

More money in your pocket on deals you do.Cons-Many more phone calls from BS marketing firms trying to sell you something.More regulation.

It took numerous phone calls from my agent and myself to random people in some outsourced office halfway across the country and weeks of stress to finally get the loan closed (and only because the seller agreed to an extension at the last minute).

If you are comfortable scanning / emailing your documents as well as having meetings via phone and/or Skype then there are more options for CPAs who work virtually and work exclusively with real estate investors.