You can look and see what everyone is doing, pick and choose what you like and apply it to your business.

Or do you have a way of picking properties that you understand will most likely be within your budget? 

Generally you do not get to pick the appraiser.

Once you have this team in place, you should be able to confidently invest in any market.As for picking a specific market - I would go after one with an increasing job and population growth.

Our goal is to own rentals, and we do own rentals, but we pick some off here and there that have appreciated to then create other opportunities with otherwise locked up equity.

Is it okay if I DM you and pick your brain further on your strategies? 

I don't have any great resources for this as these are just things I've just picked up while doing deals.

When someone is ready to sell, they will find a wholesaler who picks up the phone.On the rare occasion I do talk to a wholesaler, I just ask to be added to their buyers list.

Show up with the tools that matches the offer: "I can pick up the trash at x address (knowing he has a problem there) and you have a broom and black garbage bags in hand.

Well they paid this one man to pick up trash during the week and go around and draw lines for parking spaces or fix anything that would break in three small food area that they also offered if customers got hungry or Thirsty.