Look for motivated sellers off market and market via cold calling and or direct mail, geofencing, advertising and the like.A good wholesaler is as @Ericka Parrott mentioned, direct to seller, did good underwriting and can deliver an actual "Deal" whether buy and hold or flip. 

@Clive Smith I have a sample log in format that follows the IRS Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs).

Here's a https://www.irs.gov/businesses/cost-segregation-audit-technique-guide-chapter-4-principal-elements-of-a-quality-cost-segregation-study-and-report to the IRS website noting specific items that are included in the cost segregation study report. hmm, that website is a 404 error.  

I think a lot of these folks are selling the illusion of secret techniques to get new investors to write a check.

Quote from @Brady Bitter: Quote from @Andrew Postell: @Brady Bitter yes, some of us use this technique for temporary money. 

The guru your son is learning this technique from is likely not telling your son that the deal will almost certainly encourage your son to get an "off-market" deal from a "wholesaler" who is unlikely to properly disclose the details of the property or encourage an inspection. 

Those are spray and pray techniques that don't fit with sellers right now because sellers/owners are sitting on a very low rate and don't want to move to go up 4-5 points on their rate.Listings aren't a start now thing as well.

My humble advice to anyone attempting to do creative finance is:Creative finance is for experienced investors who have access to capital if anything goes wrong.Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal levelLearn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are neededKnow everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.

Quote from @Hanna Brown: @Jay Hinrichs  You mentioned Oregon and WA made foreclosure rescue lease backs totally illegal.

The other cities you mentioned should be fine also.