I’ve looked in Florence, but just haven’t nailed down a deal out that way yet.

Try to investigate and perhaps popping sound from loose floors at night(screw subfloor not use nails).

Obviously a 1031 exchange has a big advantage in preserving the equity. 

@Sherri Schmonsky,  Everyones nailed it - No 1031 available for stocks. 

If you have made any preservation improvements, you will not be paid for those.

Fairly expensive, but a realtively easy / quick way to nail down a great property.  

this is tricky, it tends to be a case by broker-case basis, and only a handful of brokers control the bank-owned..yikes......i forgot if the agent can rep. the bank and you, there in NC, if you make offer..Just thinking out-loud and opinion, not telling you what to do, dont know your plan (hold, flip, or your funding):  ...get over there, with a property preservation buddy, assess the repair and upgrades, (unless its already pretty perfect or you feel the agent can give you some accurate idea)...ask agent what he/she can sell for in good condition, confirm.. then factor arv, repairs needed, make offer with 10 day due diiigence professional inspection......are you offering an almost full retail-market priced forclosure anyway, then are you going to hold it for cash flow? 

There will be a little bit of touch up work needed to cover and repaint nail holes in the walls (she did the place out really nicely but there are a lot of pictures and decor up on the walls)  Other than that there is no damage that I saw when I had to go in a couple of weeks ago to repair a leaky toilet valve.My question is this. 

The admins/moderators could set it up and then lock it to preserve the content.My $0.02

@Abel LopezDepends on the terms but for a Canadian like myself it avoids a lot obstacles we face from US lenders.. especially as a beginner we would be considered medium to high risk and nailed with lower LTV and higher interest rate..