Speed is the name of the game in RE.

I would use it for sure, but it would also be useful to bring clients up to speed.

With regard to your specific question, I am a huge fan of paying cash to sweeten your offer (seller's don't like contingencies), and to speed up the process. 

2) If you have been through the street vacation process, what were some of the was in which you were able to speed up the process?

Hedge funds are very good at the stock market with speed trading.

More details needed to offer advice: Monthly Mortgage Payment, outlook for speed of getting it rented, type of neighborhood (A,B,C,D)., what Cash Flow do you anticipate, etc.

If you’re lucky, and network on and offline, you might find a mentor (their hard to find) or two to speed up the learning curve.

You may not want the liability/headaches that come with being a landlord so rentals may be out of your interest whereas if you are just trying to maximize profits and earn cash in the short-term, selling & flipping could be more your speed.

If you hit a speed bump I’m confident you can overcome it from your statements.

You can get around that by filing a motion for immediate possession if it truly is vacant which will speed the process up.