I am not a big player in this game but I have found that if you do due diligence with backgrounds,  if your rates are fair, your contracts are well written, and you are politely and consistently enforcing them...you will have a reputation that eliminates many problematic renters from coming to you.  

I have met some real players here in California who have made huge profits on deals, but they are also being stupid and spending like they are Trump.  

foreclosure buyers are like any other buyers some want to go all the way with rehab etc others are simply wholesalers.I know one company in Oregon that their model is to always post the deal wholesale first if it does not sell in 2 weeks then they get after it rehab it and retail it. and in some markets that are very very tight this is one way to get inventory... as opposed to competing with 1,000 wholesalers all beating each other up for the deal.. as most of those buyers can't come up with cash for the auction.. seperates the cashed up players from those trying to leverage into deals.

This topic comes up quite often here on the forum and you will quickly learn who are the key players.

The second thing I've noticed is that you have a lot of major players chancing those buy and its done investments, this knocks out all the little investors like me and I'm sure many others.           

What I bring to the table:Capital....almost all capital for down payment / funding renovations would come.Sales Experience:  I am not a real estate pro, but I've been in sales for a long time and I understand the process of generating demandDeal Analysis and NegotiationWhat he brings to the table:Location:  He lives in market, and has all his lifeRelationships:  He has a good relationship with a residential realtor who I've confirmed is a "player" in that market (not sure of their experience with investors). 

I'm very new to this, so I was there looking for information about starting, and to see who the players in the game were at my local level.

Or being a former MLS player I'm sure you could get a job related to soccer and use that title to appease lenders.

I just finished a 10 year career as a soccer player and I am now transitioning into the world of Real Estate Investing.

We have booked our plane tickets to visit Kansas City MO for a few days at the end of the month to see some sites, eat some BBQ, and meet some players in the KC real estate market.