Your sphere of influence is one big key to your success!

Often times I would make an offer but other buyers were offering cash or a substantial amount of money down and so I wasn't even considered. 

As a generalization, most properties in the 10K-20K range are either in bad areas or will need a substantial amount of rehab, making them poor investment choices in my opinion.

The best place to start for this is to go out to your centers of influence and let them know about the investment opportunities that you have.

Substantially better than average deals means substantially more offers required.Great deals come from motivated sellers.

We took a look at a few larger MF's and the returns looked good, after some substantial rehab though.

Depending on exactly where your parcel is situated in the area, it would influence the possibility of re-zoning.

Investing in neighborhoods on the outskirts of the "hot" harbor neighborhoods like Upper Fells Point, Patterson Park, or Riverside can yield you a good deal with substantial potential for appreciation.  

The best place to start for this is to go out to your centers of influence and let them know about the investment opportunities that you have.

While buying any one of the above is OK if you can buy at a substantial discount.