A great way to find members near you is set up a keyword alert for your area.

Also, set up keyword alerts for the cities.

Here are some recommendations for you:Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meetSet up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alertsRead Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investingCheck out BP Podcasts: http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/category/podcast/If you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box.

Are they fairly straightforward and you could DIY it or would you probably need to hire an attorney?

You can set up keyword alerts here for areas you are interested in (or any other term) and you will get notified when a post mentions it.

If it's straightforward and all the heirs can be found and want to sell, it can be a really good deal. 

So glad you've discovered Bigger Pockets early in your real estate investing journey...sounds like you've already developed a great plan to break into real estate in ATL.A few tips that may be helpful to you here on the BP website:You can set up keyword alerts so anytime someone posts about Atlanta or any of the specific neighborhoods you're evaluating, you'll be notified.

Perhaps this route may prove to be most cost effective/straight forward then trying to do something with a mortgage involved.  

It was a pretty straight-forward.

I suggest you set up a "Keyword Alert" for your areas of interest.