😵‍💫 In my backyard or out of state?

If they live at a single family house, you can try to drive by and check front and backyard also.

Pic 37, I think it was taken from the house toward the backyard?

It’s like trading baseball cards back in middle school.. you get the shiny new card you’ve had your eye on, and you don’t pay a dime until you finally decide to sell and pocket the profits.

Details on the duplex:Price: $385kBuilt: 2012Size: 2674 sq ft (1333 each side). 2 story, 3B/2.5B each side w/ 1 car garage & driveway for both, fenced backyard both sides.Interest: 5.49%PITI: $2,698Current Rent: $1,350 but could be brought up to ~$1,600, maybe $1,700Yearly Property Tax: $8,340 (I don't pay any on my side while I live there so $4,170)Upgrades: Vinyl floor in kitchen of both units, new AC (central HVAC) on vacant unit, roof done 2016. 

Backyards are small.  

Lucky for you, your own backyard is an excellent (and often overlooked) place to begin investing, thanks in part to Tuscaloosa’s proximity to Birmingham, UA’s steady enrollment growth, and the market’s favorable rent-to-price ratio.As for your comment about BRRRR, you’re right that it’s definitely one of the more time- and labor-intensive approaches.

Thanks for the link - looks like a great property and I'm a sucker for properties located near baseball and football stadiums ;-)That being said, I assume you've only looked at doing this as a long-term rental?

Their home has been vacant for over 4 years and is uninhabitable as the city water dept cut off service due to a faulty septic system spilling sewage in both our backyards.

Write as yourself, not a company, and tell them you are trying to buy your first property in your own backyard and would love to have a conversation whether they want to sell or not (they probably know someone else).