Lehigh Valley- properties gone too fast.

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Hello all,

Because of my day job, I cannot look at potential investment properties the same day. So, I have to wait till the weekend. 

I was interested in a couple of triplexes/ 4plexes in the Lehigh valley region. These properties came out on a Thursday. I did the numbers on these properties and they worked for me. My agent( who says she sells properties upto 4 units, she doesn't invest in real estate herself  though) made an appointment for me to look at them on a Saturday.  

However, every single one of them was SOLD before I could even get a look at them on Saturday. Obviously seasoned/local investors have an advantage here and can rapidly make offers.  I used the Saturday to familiarize myself with the areas that I am interested in investing, so it wasn't a completely wasted trip.

Ideally, I would like some time to analyze a deal, look at the property and the neighborhood, maybe talk to the tenants before making an offer. Since, I am a newbie, I do not feel comfortable enough to make offers sight unseen.

Should I look at less competitive markets to get my feet wet or is there something I am missing here strategy wise.

Is there a better way to go about doing this..

Thanks