If you do not have a fool-proof strategy in place, you might incur more losses going this route.

I get calls / emails all the time now from them with delas that meet my criteria before they are listed on the MLS - so the day it gets listed my offer is already in.You have to prove yourself to the REO realtors / borkers in your area and eventually they will trust your a good buyer and start to give you access to unlisted stuff.Also - as Jon said - once you know your market and REALLY know your market you can make offers just by surfing the MLS in the AM.But this takes time and lots of deals.And it still isn't fool proof.

No investment comes without risk, and no investment is foolproof.

No strategy is fool proof though.

Never do they ask 'If this plan I'm paying so much for is so foolproof, why isn't the teacher out doing it themselves?'

A majority of the time, everything stays dry, but there is no fool proof way to keep water out when there is so much rain. 

It's not foolproof but if another investor/builder has worked with them that would help narrowing down to better lenders.  

As to splitting things up in the marriage, absolutely not fool proof, there is legal theory of who is behind the door, you have comingled assets, community property, shared interests even if you are not in title.

I see your point about it not being fool-proof.

Its foolproof and has zero risk.