It was Civic Financial - I’m not sure they do referral bonuses or anything but I can share a contact info if you needed someone.

Those companies you asked about are more for deal finding and direct contact to off-market sellers, is that what you are looking for? 

. :)Anyway, I like your strategy of driving and looking for houses in need of repair and sending handwritten letters and contacting rentals for the reasons you gave.

If you believe that to be true then simply ask the escrow officer to forward it to the Seller they will have sellers contact info and they are a neutral party..

The problem (as you have cited) is trying to understand what you need (you don't know what you don't know), where to get it, qualifying its source(s), and the validity and usefulness of all that.Pardon me if I've gone into this too much, but I meet many people with the same concerns that you are voicing and this is offered, as much as possible in direct response to your post.Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions. 

I can connect you to a few off market contacts when you're ready if you'd like.

Of course, if the agent has an entire team of people working with him, he might pawn off any contact with a client or potential client to a team member who may or may not be licensed until the buyer gets serious about purchasing. 

I want to wait and go for the white whale but im so tempted to go ahead and make contact to see if i can get real numbers.

He tells you to contact brokers in the area of the property & try to get them to find you a tenant within 2 weeks while you have the property tied up.The problem with that is the brokers will tell you they can't help you if you don't actually own the property.

I'm regularly in contact with owners considering a 1031 into NNN, the yield is lower but maybe less stress.