I plan to attend to shake hands, meet the major players, and hopefully find someone I can do a deal with.

Practical Tips We LearnedExpect the city’s first offer to be below market value—that’s normal.Independent appraisals + attorneys with eminent domain experience often secure significantly higher payouts.Start lining up the replacement property plan early so you don’t lose time once funds hit escrow.Bottom line:Your key players are:Eminent domain attorney (negotiations & appeals)1033-savvy exchange specialist (tax side)Optional: Commercial broker if you want to roll into bigger assetsThose three together made the process smoother for our client and avoided nasty surprises.

The best way to get connected is to plug into investor-friendly markets where there are a lot of active players and opportunities to collaborate.

Look for people who are posting about deals in the DMV and send them a thoughtful direct message.Contractors and other tradespeople: These professionals often work with multiple investors and can point you to the most active players in the local market.Good luck!

For others, it's building a team of A players in a particular market. 

Connect with:Hard Money Lenders: They know who is consistently getting loans and closing deals.Title Companies: They see all the cash transactions and double closes.Contractors: Many contractors work exclusively with flippers and can tell you who the most active players are.How to Build a High-Quality ListIt’s not enough to just find names; you need to qualify them.

Very hard to compete profitably when the big players are giving away 2-3-4 months rent. 

That will help you decide if you are a player for future aucitons. 

Little history will show some of the largest institutional players(as individuals not on the behalf of institutions) jumped in also in mid 2014-early 2015. 

The team has a key player injured where his absence in this game will surely end up in a loss, but if you play him, he could be lost for the season.