You both make good points, but if you are in a holding pattern and can afford to wait, I think you can at least learn a lot about certain areas by studying them either using some of the above sources, driving the area as suggested and looking at foreclosure.com and not necessarily logging on and paying for the information. I know TG knew his area well enough to be able to spot the distressed property without paying for the service because he has zeroed in on a certain niche market and was very familiar with that. None of us underestimate the value of a trained realtor. I think we might just be leery of the ones that are either untrained or unscrupulous. Being an informed buyer is important even in this market.