Any advice for finding good deals?

Question

Hey BP community! I've been deep in research mode lately — tons of great content on deal analysis, building buyer lists, disposition strategies, etc. But I'm running into a wall when it comes to actually sourcing deals without relying on a paid subscription tool.

Right now I'm using my county CAD and tax assessor data to identify distressed properties, and it's working to a degree, but I want to make sure I'm not leaving better methods on the table.

For those of you who are actively wholesaling:
• Is county CAD/tax assessor still a solid approach, or are there better free/low-cost methods you're using to find distressed sellers?
• Are the paid platforms (PropStream, DealMachine, BatchLeads, etc.) actually worth the subscription at the early stages, or can you get comparable data for free if you're willing to put in the manual work?

Would love to hear what's actually working for people in the field right now. Appreciate any insight!

Tanya Farreras · Answer

Hi Isaiah!

You & I are on the same page. I'm in Columbus, OH & was told to look into DealMachine. Granted, at first I didn't want to spend the money, especially in the initial stages but I finally decided, after much research of the app in itself, to bit the bullet & start investing in it. I am finding it VERY useful, truth be told. As everything, it takes time to learn the ins & outs, to create lists, etc. and it is an expense that CAN be deducted on your tax returns. I'm also trying to partner with Real Estate Agents & other Wholesalers, at least in the beginning, to learn & be more comfortable when presenting a deal.

Jordan Moorhead · Answer

Check out Roddy's foreclosure listing service here in Texas. Even after you find a good lead you need to gauge motivation and call them or go knock on their door!

Isaiah Addie · Answer

@Tanya Farreras I'm starting to come to that same conclusion! Navigating through CAD and state tax data has proven difficult compared to using the paid tools. I'm starting to attend meetups as well to start developing networking and public speaking skills

Brandon Hightower · Answer

Hey Isaiah,

You’re actually on a solid path—county data is one of the most underused resources, just takes more manual work.

To your questions:

• CAD/tax data still works—especially for things like tax delinquent, absentee owners, code violations, etc. It’s slower, but the data can be just as good (sometimes better) if you clean it right.

• Paid tools vs free—the main difference is speed and convenience, not magic data. Tools like PropStream just aggregate and organize what you’re already pulling manually.

At the early stage, you’re not really missing out by staying manual. What matters more is:

• How consistently you’re pulling lists
• How quickly you’re reaching out
• How strong your follow-up is

A lot of people jump to paid tools thinking it’ll solve lead flow, but without a consistent process behind it, it doesn’t change much.

If you can build consistency with manual methods first, any tool you add later just becomes an amplifier—not a crutch.

Dominic Mazzarella · Answer

County CAD and assessor data is still useful, but I wouldn’t stop there. A lot of people are pulling from the same buckets now, so absentee/high equity/tax stuff can get picked over pretty fast.

If you’re trying to stay low-cost, I’d also look at code enforcement, permit activity, vacant registrations, probate/court records, and older rental listings that never seemed to move. The annoying part is that every city handles this stuff differently, so it’s not as clean as pulling one list from PropStream. But that’s also why fewer people bother with it.

Paid tools can save time, but early on I’d rather learn how the data actually works before paying for shortcuts. Once you know what signals matter in your market, then a tool is just a way to move faster. That being said, I wouldn't wait too long to start looking into these tools as they can help you scale your effort quite a bit.

Isaiah Addie · Answer

@Jordan Moorhead agreed! I'll check it out I really appreciate pointing me in the right direction

Tanya Farreras · Answer

Travis, one question: What do you mean by "learn your numbers cold?" I've been guided to simulate 20-30 offers in order to learn how to get ATV, cost repairs, etc. How would I go about that?

Thank you again for your insight and support!

Travis Goodwin · Answer

County CAD and tax data is still one of the best beginner methods because it forces you to actually learn your market instead of hiding behind software. A lot of new wholesalers think the magic is in PropStream or BatchLeads when the real advantage is consistency, follow-up, and talking to sellers. Paid tools can absolutely save time once you have momentum, but early on I’d rather see someone manually pull distressed lists, drive for dollars, target stale listings, probate leads, inherited properties, code violations, tired landlords, and pre-foreclosures before spending hundreds a month on subscriptions. The truth is most people don’t fail because they lacked software — they fail because they never stayed consistent long enough to build lead volume and seller conversation skills. Start simple, get reps, learn your numbers cold, and add tools later once they help you scale instead of distract you.

Tanya Farreras · Answer

Thank you greatly for the explanation. It makes sense now.

Dominic Mazzarella · Answer

I mean the stuff that tells you why a property might be worth looking at, not just whether it fits a filter.

For example, absentee owner or high equity can be useful, but by itself it doesn’t tell you much anymore because everyone can pull that. I’d want to know what else is going on in that market. Are certain owners getting hit with code violations? Are there vacant registrations? Are permits being opened and then left unresolved? Are there probate/court records, tax issues, or rental listings that keep sitting?

So when I say “market signals,” I just mean the local signs that point to pressure or opportunity before it becomes obvious. Every city handles that data differently, which is annoying, but that’s also why it can be useful.

Any advice for finding good deals?

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