I include another month of holding costs in my projections to accommodate extra time needed to close on the pre-sale.  

Depending on how remote you want - Millcreek canyon has some places up for sale in the 200's.

That location is probably one of the best places to be in America to be an investor.Locate in a market that is convenient for you and is popular as far as sales go.  

My area of expertise is purchasing property from Tax Sale auctions.  

Typically the amount for the foreclosure has no bearing on the listing price or sales price of an REO.

I only ask because I am in the same boat, working a full time job as a construction project manager but wanting to get my license to be able to show myself homes and cut out the sales agent commission.

@Spencer Trotman,You may want to re-think your approach.Why not just drop them a hand-written letter in a hand-written envelope with a 1st Class stamp stating your interest in buying a home in their neighborhood and asking if they know of any that might be for sale?

Im obviously new on different options on how to acquire properties, so Im partnering with my friend who is a sales guy by nature, and a really good one.

My wife used to work in the DC area, so after she rented a small 1br condo in Alexandria, VA for a year, the landlord put it up for sale, and we bought it at what I believe to be FMV with a bit of savings due to no realtor commissions.Fast forward a year later (now), my wife found a job in NH, so we decided to giving renting the condo a shot.

@Marilyn MikeI look at the county to get recent sales from county records.