Hopefully you had a cordial relationship with the tenant.

Build your income and reserves, learn and build relationships.

What I wrote above does not create an attorney/client relationship between us.

Internet chatter is a good starting point but most of my investors say the gold is going deal and taking relationships offline. 

So if he can form a relationship with you, it may pay off when you get a distressed property that isn't suitable for a traditional sale, you'll call him.

The agent let me know the owner passed away and the seller has no blood relationship to the previous seller and knew nothing about the property.

Your job is to build relationships with people smarter than you and who have done more deals than you.

Seems you are new to this- you can get just as good protection by working with an agent or broker and will see more deals through developing that relationship. 

It's easiest if the builder and the lender have an existing relationship.  

Waiting too long to refinance can also leave you with less favorable market conditions.Neglecting to Build Relationships with Lenders:Many investors assume refinancing will be easy, but without building good relationships with lenders or shopping around for the best terms, you could end up with a deal that doesn’t work for your investment goals.Ignoring Cash Flow:Some investors get caught up in the equity gains and forget about cash flow.