I am buy and hold investor who usually acquires through wholesalers, MLS and auction in Philadelphia. I never pursued direct marketing due to time constraints and probably the biggest factor, not joining bigger pockets earlier!! I have recently identified a target property which I was interested in as a buy and hold investment and own a property near my target. My initial thought was to have a wholesaler help me acquire, but I was introduced to a skip trace website, from a BP member in my network. I paid $9.97 for a skip trace search. The search provided a few phone numbers and a few addresses and after a few minutes of trial and error I was able to connect with the seller on the phone!! While I am hopeful, I am still a long way from settlement or even an agreement of sale for that matter. However, I see the process as a success because BP and my network has helped me open my mind and pursue other aspects of real estate I previously had very little knowledge of. Thanks to BP and my network when I see a property I like, I no longer have to wait for a wholesaler, for it to hit the MLS or wait for it to go to auction, I now know how to pursue it!!