Real estate is not rocket science, stop treating it as such. 

Do I ignore them until some legal proceedings force me to stop doing it as STR?

Non-judicial deed placed in bank's name, same bank then files a release of mortgage.a few months later.The bank stopped paying taxes, so property is coming up for auction.

I finally stopped wasting time and just started cleaning.

I exchanged information with them and would stop by their projects for the next month to see their progress.

So what is the answer to getting access to our equity for those of us who have some but don't really want to continue acquiring properties.

I have access to deals with no debt that provide monthly distributions. 

This is why I have stopped giving advice for these kinds of posts.Newbie - I just attended a seminar and if I buy 10 $50,000 crapboxes in D neighborhoods in the Midwest, they will cashflow $1,000 each and I can retire by the end of the year.Me - A $50,000 crapbox in a D neighborhood isn’t going to cashflow $1,000 a month.Newbie - just because you can’t do it!!!

A good deal is a good deal, however with that said you also have to resell the property so you have to be in a place where people have money, access to credit, and want to live.   

(doubt this is accurate)Regardless0.02% of 500,000,000 = 100,000 people are successfulSo you see ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND success stories, people holding up checks, bragging about how many Lambos they buy... but what you will never see are the rest of the 499,900,000 people quietly crying in the fetal position on the floor that lost a fortune trying those tactics.You don't hear from them, you don't see them and you only see extremely incomplete data.Again,I would stop telling others it is a numbers game.