The journey of 1000 miles begins with one step. 

After 30 days you catch them violating that and can take steps to evict based on that.

So for the buy and rehab steps, is the best strategy is to find an alternative lender (or use cash)?

So, it sounds like the first step is to figure out how to ensure that you get the house.

So we get them from all sources  MLS  courthouse steps  and of course wholesalers..

Technically, the IRS could pursue the Substance over Form doctine if they believed this was all done for tax avoidance in pre planned steps.

Hey @Michelle Martin - I am the same thought as @John Warren, if you have a decent Chicago Eviction attorney they should have a pretty clear understanding of the process and be able to guide you through the next steps.  

What steps went into getting the issues fixed?

It has primer in the mix, so you don't need a separate step.

Once I build a list of prospective homes, what steps should I take to identify which homeowners might be interested in selling?