EquityHunter - I'd like to know where in Atlanta you are. I'm here as well!
As for marketing, I (and others who use what I do) get a 10, 12, as high as 20% response rate on my marketing. Why settle for a 1% response rate? What about the other 99%?

I like what a lot of you have said, and agree that a targeted direct mail campaign is the best way to generate leads. Of course, you still have to close them, but with such a high response rate, that gives you more leads to check out and cherry pick the ones that'll do best for your biz.
And EZloanz is right, it depends on how, who, when, and where you're marketing. But a great marketing campaign can take place anywhere in the country, as long as you're targeting both the sellers and the message.
Big Cheese