I completely agree, Tony. It's frustrating when others are offering more than they should, and it's tempting to compete with them. However, that will ultimately lead to you paying too much for properties which is definitely not what you want to do.
My strategy for avoiding this kind of frustration is using marketing methods that are more likely to lead to me competing with far fewer potential buyers, and oftentimes I actually end up competing with no one. For example, if you clearly define who your ideal seller is and then reach out to them via a well-designed, targeted direct mail campaign, the response rate you get should be very impressive, and, if the rest of the process is done well, the competition, few though they may be, will seldom win.
So much more to share on this... so little time :-)
