Same song I thought of when I saw the thread title, lol.
OP, just adding that scammers are faking notes, ID's, and county recorded documents, and they also host fraudulent in-person showings of the actual houses. Checking out the previous public tax records is the way to go in this day and age of shady "owners" (with properties about to foreclose), agents, and management companies. Scammers have gotten very devious the more the public has become aware of the typical older scam methods. That said, our family has several rentals (as do many people we know) and we all use mostly word of mouth but also CL along with MLS and other forms of advertising.
All the best and hoping you find the perfect place for you.