Not having your phone calls or offers responses to drives me insane.

I have a few suggestions that I have done to learn as much as possible here on BP:Listen to the podcasts when you are driving/ relaxing on the couch, etc.

@Dimple Khurana there are also other factors outside of liens that could be problematic if you're bidding sight unseen such as a leaking oil tank, foundation issues, etc

I know gaining trust is a key factor in making them feel comfortable with their investment, but again it is more difficult for someone to feel comfortable with you when you have only met via video chat. 

I rent many apartments and never let my broker charge more than a month because I don’t want the commission to drive the discussions.

You may also want to factor in the education from investing versus not.Thoughts @Michael Lee @Andrew R.

Consider what you do for work, and how far you would be driving to get to those locations. if you are working in LA, driving from Palm Desert daily could allow you to cash flow, but your quality of life can be destroyed.

I'm based in NJ and not able to drive the area just yet.

I am always watching rents in the area though, frequently looking at trulia/padmapper/apartments.com/zumper/craigslist ads and snap a photo of every "for rent" sign I see to call up and find out.There is a lot more variation than simply how many bedrooms a place has and where in the city it is located in, property condition, layout, density, and the environment around it factors into the price a lot, and rentometer doesn't give you much insight into that.

You just may have to drive outside of your immediate area to get a deal.