Your focus should be on getting as much of that equity out without killing the goose or going cash flow negative.  

Currently my focus is on design and manufacturing retail and event displays. 

You may miss good deals while waiting, and more importantly, you will miss on making connections and getting a name out there for you as an investor that focuses on X or Y niches.However, you can definitively do something to take advantage of this market (high valuations and easy access to money) and your situation (low LTV and hopefully good cash flowing assets and personal financials) without having to deplete your cash reserves paying down loans or reducing your cash flow by getting me loans. 

I'm going to my first tax sale in a couple of weeks, but plan on focusing on vacant properties and/or land with no structures because I'm a chicken on my first time out. 

I wish you the best of luck and make sure to focus on the numbers!

Ignore the total fixers (which won’t qualify for conventional) and focus on the liveable, but dated properties where you can add value and equity over time.

Even if it doesn't work for this specific deal, it's great to connect with these types of buyers, as it offers wholesalers a chance to not strictly focus on "equity" deals, opens you up to an entirely different market. 

I live on the east coast, so my game plan would focus on properties in the Midwest as the price points are better.Appreciate your input, and please be blunt and tell me if I've fallen off the deep end!!

There may be more than 100 people at the meeting, but they have trouble with retention, so about 25% to 35% in attendance is usually 1st time visitors or investor wannabees, another 25% to 35% are vendors wanting to sell something to the investors, and the rest are practiced investors that come to learn and share.  

I used to frequent the forums more and read up on real estate investing, but lately life has had me focusing on the here and now.