What did you end up deciding on with this ?

This year I made it a goal to purchase my first property and my hope is that with the help of this community, I can make that goal a reality.

Told them to do a drive by and call me back with an offer :)The person who called you probably just spent $15,000 for mentoring and “education”, and is now in panic that his 250 cold calls have not produced anything .  

Quote from @Kareem Hammad: I would go off what you know for example, the place that I invest a lot in is the market I grew up in (I do not live there anymore).

The only advantage you could can have is a primary home loan and move in to it immediately without ever renting it out. 

Has anyone else found this to be true?

In the end you always end up paying somewhere between 8-12% on your money. 

I would do some online research into Realtors in your area to see if you can make a connection.As @Michael Dumler pointed out, wholesalers are going to be a more reliable source for consistent off-market properties with margin.

In the process of being assessed for a HELOC. 

@Mark Rodriguez if this is your first rental, keep it simple.