Despite all the different internet marketing options out there, I still find direct mail to be the easiest way to contact those out of town sellers that just want to be rid of their properties.

That should close out the life estate part of the deed.To find heirs of the prior owner, the fastest and easiest way is to ask the tax collector's office who to and where they send the tax bill and if it has been paid since the last recorded owner's death. 

Just iron out what works best and easiest for you.

With that being said, although I'm a bit delayed on this post, I'm proud to say that after having a half dozen or so offers declined and a lot of patience from my awesome agent @Justin Brown, I finally got an offer accepted on a triplex just outside of Allentown, PA in December of 2019 and closed on January 14th 2020...exactly 3 months to the day of when I graduated.

Here is a simple example of what I'm talking about:Property 1: Purchase Price $100,000Annual Cash Flow: $1,200Appreciation Rate: 4%Appreciation Year 1: $4,000 Cash Flow Plus Appreciation: $5,200Property 2:Purchase Price $100,000Annual Cash Flow: $600 (Half as much as property 1)Appreciation Rate: 6%Appreciation Year 1: $6,000Cash Flow Plus Appreciation: $6,600In this example, you're getting 100% more cash flow in Property 1, but only one third more appreciation in Property 2, and you still end up better off at the end of year 1 with Property 2.

Definitely not the easiest market, but doable.

This step is the easiest one and can be a DIY task.

To be specific, we were waved the appraisal fee, no points, lowered percentage rate (to match a competitor bank) and half the cost of lenders fee.In the first Loan Estimate everything was incorrect.

Both detached (4,687, +6.2%) and attached (3,979, +5.3%) units gained from last February.Units came off the market nine days earlier compared to February last year, as detached homes came off-market more than a week and a half sooner (48 days, -11).

Not one round of mailers, not a few phone calls here and there, not a half-*** website, but a true commitment.