We've thought about seller financing, but can't imagine someone selling a $649k house for a small down payment and even smaller monthly checks.

Check out https://www.noradarealestate.com/blog/due-on-sale-clause/in general putting the property into a land trust should not trigger the due-on-sale because of the Garn St Germain Act.

Quote from @Lauren Samford: Check your state laws.

Don't think you can have homestead claim on LLC property, but check with the title lawyer.  

Ignore credit ratings but ask them to explain what you will see during a credit check.

Tailor your message to offer solutions to their potential needs or situations.Online Platforms: Besides Propwire, there are other platforms and tools designed for real estate investors, such as:ListSource: A service for buying customized lists of potential leads based on various criteria (e.g., geography, property type, financial distress indicators).BatchSkipTracing: Offers services to help you find accurate contact information for property owners.PropStream: Provides comprehensive data for real estate investors, including leads on distressed properties, motivated sellers, and detailed property information.Social Media and Real Estate Forums: Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and specific real estate forums (e.g., BiggerPockets) can be valuable for networking, finding mentors, and discussing strategies with other wholesalers.Bandit Signs: These are signs you see on the side of the road with messages like "We Buy Houses Cash."

Have you checked Furnished Finder to assess the demand?

I'd check them out.  

I would double check with an attorney if you are going to successfully avoid reassessment.

I highly recommend checking out niche.com when researching the best brrr areas.