@creative1 To many investors it is quite lucrative, and banks have their favorites. Even if the property gets damage by squatters, or meth cooks etc, at some point the bank will bundle a bloc of homes together and call one of their favorite investors, then they will haggle over price per unit, when they have an agreement, the investor will buy up the bloc of 12, 15, 20 homes for X amount apiece. The investor having worked out a price where he/she can put X amount min in the property to make it resalable then put it on the market as a slight discount to move it fast. Usually they get them so cheap, even after fix up they can still turn a profit.
Just go to your bank loan or fiancé person and ask if they have any REO properties they are looking to lighten themselves of. I bet if they see you are serious about buying a lot of them, you will start being treated like a king. They see you walk through the door they will start smiling ear-to-ear.