Now, the objective is to let the property go to sale and claim the surplus funds per CC 2924(j, k).

here we have a place called surplus warehouse.  

A couple options I would try:1. find out who is the current insurer and appoach them to write the new coverage.2. contact the excess/surplus lines for a policy.  

I prefer to put much of my surplus earnings into investment real estate over the years and looking for a long term realtor that has a decent head on their shoulders and while I think all pay structures have their pro's and con's...

The $12,000 surplus would be short lived.

My good deed for the day: teaching a fool how to use the Internet.there are surplus vacant homes in virtually every rust belt city.

I've spoken to a few brokers and one us recommending I get surplus line insurance, I'm hesitant given that the state doesn't guarantee these surplus line insurance companies given that they're unlicensed.Does anyone have any ideas around this? 

As a hard money lender based out of Ohio, most clients start out in the fix-and-flip space to acquire cash and once they have a surplus, they will deploy it into a buy-and-hold opportunity.

To me, it's either do a lot of the work and enjoy the surplus of money during down times for crazy fun/reinvestment, or hire out everything and get used to drinking keystone on the front porch.You don't need the labor bill for tax deduction.  

My point is that if you treat the money you have that you don’t need to survive as some sort of surplus we tend to make riskier investments as if that cash is somehow different.