If the area is stagnant you will have to understand up front that acquiring a investment for subject to real estate investing will take some understanding. You do not want to be required to restrict yourself to buying a investment that you will have to live in. For example, that means you buy a investment and occupy it until you flip it. In such a location you will have to get ahead on your competitors. You will not likely be able to sell it for more than what the market can handle. This is why you need to tie it up at a big discount to retain a reasonable profit if you are attempting this the traditional way.
Now flippers will begin by doing their homework on prices in the immediate locations. Given the current real estate areas and the number of motivated sellers, wholesalers who are real estate wholesaling are profiting very well. No matter what you decide to do, when all is said and done, you have to weigh the money you made against the level of labor that it took getting the property successfully wholesaled. Such is the reason strategies like subject to investing are better for down markets
Of course be sure to educate yourself about seller financing properties and/or discuss with a qualified colleague before you plan any new real estate business and finance endeavors.