The key questions you need to ask yourself are, do you have the time, skills and knowledge to take on a project like this and how are you going to do it from out of state?

Matt  I'd look near Kids Springs park/Bishop Arts, or near lower Greenville (I think that might be tough), M streets (also tough).Those are the places I 'd probably start with.

I enjoy spending my time researching/studying the wholesale fundamentals so that I have a strong foundation to further build my skill set on.

Daniel: I don't think that is a script but there is a skill - listening.  

The ones that have been successful often times have three things in common - a very long standing previous relationship, opposite skill sets that complement each other and probably most important: similar values.

and skills/tolerance/excitement for a live-in rehab.

The best option for you will be dependent on your skills, experience, and resources.

These contractors are not happy about this state of affairs but working under the HD or Lowes umbrella are the only way they can make any money, because they lack the skills necessary to build their own business or haven't been doing what they do long enough to build their own business.

It seems that property management is an art in and of itself. 

What combination of pieces you use is of course up to you, but here is one possible scenario:- An initial touch using a post card with a simple message- A white letter of no more than 2 pages wherein you explain how you can help the recipient with your unique set of skills.- A final touch, this one could be another post card, a short yellow letter or a 1 page white letter.The idea is to provide a simple initial message, expand on that message and then reinforce the urgency of the message.