One way that we have found a lot of private money is through the old school way of newspaper ads.

It's probably worth more as buildable lots... because a Golf Course is Business Income, and my guess is it's income is low to negative long term.You paid a premium to live in a (financially) exclusive "Golf Community" and now the core of it will be medium density and no more Golf Course.Those who paid the biggest premium most likley were those with homes right on the green--now they will be on the front lines (so to speak) with medium density (which might include Section-8 and other Governmental Assistance apartment buildings).Melinials (as a rule) do not value playing golf very much, and with the business income of the course being low--highest and best use...It's also probably going to effect your property values...Location, Location, Location.In short doing this seems to really shaft the Existing Homeowners, too bad your city government doesn't rezone it as a huge duck pond, dig it out and flood it.Even with the course closed there are carrying fees, such as taxes and insurance, so leaving it as a self owned green belt would be a shark bite for the owner.It's interesting that they don't want to zone the same as the existing doughnut of homes and want to go with Lower (to no) income group of people in the middle of the doughnut.From a return on investment it makes sense, but so might a stench producing rendering plant.If they zone to the existing doughnut of home the price loss on homeowners MIGHT be less.This seems to be the trend of the future...

There is also no charge for this although some real estate agents may want you to sign an exclusivity agreement.Go to REIAs and network.Are you renting at the moment or do you already own a primary?

Recently a real estate broker told me I would be able to receive the whole amount of the Home Sale Tax Exclusion instead of just half If I were to move into the other unit and occupy it for at least 2 of the next 5 years before I sell it. 

I'd say that the point about getting the property inspected should apply to any purchase, Detroit definitely doesn't have the exclusive on properties with issues.    

The first people I signed up to stay at my home duplex's second apartment were grad students at an exclusive private university nearby (I was also once a grad student at an exclusive private university), and all their parents cosigned their lease.When I got into self-managing SFR rentals years before, I bought four books on doing it, read them assiduously like the failed academic I am, and implemented what they taught me, along with everything my research training and brief local county government employment had helped me with in looking up people locally and doing extensive background checks.

@Jay Hinrichs - he does not lose his $500k exclusion by converting the property into a rental, as long as he sells it within 3 years after moving out.

It's rented exclusively through AirBnB.

I learned a ton by beginning to sell real estate for and to others, and these days I work almost exclusively (there are exceptions) with investors, many of those who invest in apartment buildings like these and bigger!

Catseye Pest Control's construction division (CatGuard) did exterior exclusion around the whole building at the ground level4.