.- 30 minutes on the phone with a good local lender.I think we both know your next step. :)

I help them through the transaction every step of the way but will not take on any form of liability when it comes to home inspections. 

Not sure how you have decided up front of what it will sell for at auction vs what it will sell for privately.I think your next step is to figure out auction date, then go to title company and let them tell you who needs to sign your purchase agreement.   

Ive heard its a step by step process, so my question is in regards to knowing what type of target audience to send mailing pieces too.

This was step 1: knowledge is power and reading this book is helping me move forward. 

A great buyers agent will be able to help you fine tune your strategy, highlight market trends, knows where and what to look for, hook you up with the best lenders, inspectors, contractors, etc, get you the full background on a property and the sellers, knows how a particular property compares to other deals and what a great deal looks like, identify untypical risks and knows what to look for before you waste time and money on an offer & homeinspection just to cancel the deal later, get the lowest possible offer accepted, oversee the transaction and handle all the paperwork, including title work and appraisal, knows how to approach a short sale differently from a REO, negotiate inspections and repairs successfully and help you make more money, safes you time and lower your risk every step of the way.Sounds like you signed with someone who provides value by knowing lockbox numbers?

What steps did you take and where is it now?

It just seems like it's so dangerous to even attempt a friendly conversation about someone else's financial situation because of the potential for stepping into a hot mess legally.

The government seems to be two steps behind and reacting to the problems of the last decade and doing the right thing for the majority of people or the economy in general in the present.

Step 1 is to show up to as many networking events as you can, and Step 2 is to talk to as many people as you can while your there, and listen.