I believe there are deals to be had but they are hard to find and this area is competitive.I think you'd do good in an area like Baltimore - it is competitive because the barrier to entry is lower than trying to invest in DC.

I understand I can help him collect data, I am.

Different in terms of market entry. 

Here is some good data on the Westside of Jacksonville from the NEFAR January 2014 sales report.

Hey Matt,The first thing that I'd say is that the tool you're using is not the MLS, it's a company that buys data from the MLS and then displays it for consumers.If your choice is between Redfin and the local MLS (which is called MRIS in the DC area), then the MLS will have a slight advantage just based on the sheer amount of data that's available for any given property.

Josh C. ....You can use metal threshold for entry..

@Mark LynnDon't forget to call the expired from MLSClaritashttp://www.claritas.com/Melissa Data http://www.melissadata.com/ListSource (min. order $50) http://www.listsource.com Acculeads (min order $100) https://ww2.acculeads.com/cow1.maxPaul

I went with a company called Blackbook Data.

This online database do have a disclaimer though that the data may not be accurate, updated, etc...this is why I went to the city to check in person.After the tax deed sale happened and I sent the money, I had 2 different realtors who called the city zoning, and the zoning person (different clerk or someone above, I am not sure) mentioned it is an open space that cannot be built.

I just did a post on my BP blog where I used the recent Pinal County Arizona tax lien auction results with my added data of Property Type to show how to analyze your competition for better results.I did it as a blog post since it is too long for the forum.