Hopefully, you've got some good ideas in getting started.

Direct mail to absentee owners may be a great idea, you just need to understand it is not magic, and will take a min of 6 touches to your list to possibly close a deal.

I would agree that the best idea would be to simply ask them this exact question when discussing the first property.  

I will also be spending some more time in the other categories of this forum, to see what I can learn about the current market and real world practices. 

My long term goal is to keep 1 in 5 properties(at a minimum) to create a passive income stream.Do you have some ideas on how to stretch the 200k in my situation or am I on the right track?

Great idea in regards to financing the fees if I decide I need to.

These scammers always have great dishonest ideas!

Nathan,That's a good idea!

You don't have to buy or close any deals, but you can start getting an idea as to what kind of people you will be dealing with.Also, start looking at your market.

The knowledge sharing, suggested ideas and personal stories told are invaluable.