It sounds as if he's lost everything already and is pretty bitter.

Good evening everyone,I represent a national, international, intergalactic consortium of real estate moguls with knowledge to rival the Library of Congress and assets under management larger than most GDP's.

If it's numbers and the numbers are rivaled by single family, it's tough to justify not looking into multifamily.

He's refusing to do so and wants me to use half the security deposit to break the lease (He's bitter that I'm doing a walk-through of the apartment to assess damages after he moves out instead of with him before he vacates the property). 

I've been struggling with this as well but i will share what has worked sorta for me the town has a data base with last known owners check that out then check if the taxes are up to date most likely they are not then have a lawyer (in new york anyway) find a forwarding address to them and write them a simple letter stating your intent for every ten i find i get at least one call or email although i have not closed one deal this way because most abandoned houses here are due to divorce or upside down mortgages and for that they are too much to purchase or very bitter to make any sort of real offer to sell

I can understand why they are bitter.

Does it make sense if you are a first time home bitter to just go online and get your pre approval letter?

Only way I would do that is if YOU HAD flood insurance and they were denying it.. but if you do not have flood insurance and fema does not have a responsibility to cover non owner occ.. then that's the risk of being an investor.. you have to deal with it as bitter of a pill that is to swallow.

I have seen to many sweet pits turn and bite and when they do its major damage usually to a child.. of all the dogs I have owned over the years my biggest bitter is our Chiuahua CUJO he was a terror ( rest in peace ).. followed by my golden.. my shepard bite once but that was an intruder who came in uninvited then ran out when he saw the dog and got bit in the @$$  ..

The idea of losing $1,800 lives a very bitter taste in my mouth.UPDATE: Now the bank is telling me the only way I can close on this deal is to get a renovation loan from them.