Side note - After suffering multiple years of "analysis paralysis".

Look for similar properties currently for rent in the area and contact the landlords.They can be your best source for cash buyers if they are multiple property owners looking to expand.Also go down to the courthouse and attend the foreclosure auctions to meet cash buyers buying homes on a weekly basis for rehab and resale.Walk up to them with your business cards and your 3 properties info and ask what type of properties they buy on a regular basis and ask them for their card in return.

Multiple Offers above asking price are quite common, especially for clean, move in ready homes located in good school districts. 

I have done this multiple times and have had great success.

I have contacted them multiple times of course and a popular reason Sherman Bridge provides me is that the person in charge of my file is no longer working there.

Seems you have multiple incremental steps that can all be relatively easy and get you closer to your goals. 1) build an adu, 2) fill the adu, 3) buy a new owner occ, 4) rent out the existing, 5) look for another investment purchase (I suggest a great off market deal) 6) get it in escrow subject to selling existing investment property 7) sell existing 8) Use gains from selling #1 to buy #3 (which should be bigger and have more cash flow).

I am looking forward to engaging in some great discussions, learning a ton, and making some new friends in the business.

If the lead has multiple properties, there's no need to send them a letter for every property.

I've been reading the blogs, going through multiple podcast, purchased a few books, etc.  

Based on what I've observed, most rentals this close to university are inhabited by multiple people, many of them students.