Matt and Michelle Porcaro had placed offers on 10 houses. They were two years into their search, with hearts set on living near their parents in Massapequa. But time after time, they were beaten out by cash buyers — usually builders with big renovation plans, said Matt Porcaro. “Because it was so challenging to find anything, we started sending mail to people in the area,” he said. “We wanted to go right to the sellers, to see if they’d be willing to sell directly to us.” Matt and Michelle, both 32, work as an electric engineer and physician assistant, respectively. Together they drove around Massapequa, taking note of houses they liked. They…