They will then defend this price by saying something like "current rents are below market, they could easily be raised to X, Y or Z"  or, "the landlord is presently carrying the utilities, you could put them back in the hands of the tenants"These are both improvements to the business which should improve the free cash flow the business throws off.  

You could say I'm an idealist at heart, but I don't let my idealism carry me away from the practical aspects of investing.  

A good realtor should be able to negotiate things like closing date (on maybe the 6th or 7th of the month), seller carry back if needed (or useful), personal property to be included in the price, closing costs, buyer credits back for items in need of repair, home warranty, the list goes on.  

Hi Carrie,Transunion seems to have a good site. https://www.mysmartmove.com/

As long as the insurance companies honor the policies that were in existence (using the argument that I was the homeowner when the disaster struck and I am the one who suffered the loss and obviously the one who carried the policy), it should work.

Would owner carry terms if available change your thoughts? 

I know he carries insurance of some sort...I have seen the certificate but I didnt look closely.  

I'd encourage you to find an agent that understands real estate investing and have them set you up on searches with the keywords "motivated" "seller carry" "lease option purchase"If you are playing at the auction then you are swimming with sharks - even the savviest of investor would be outmatched for the guy's doing it day in and day out in that arena.

I also love YNAB for personal budgeting and use it religiously (knowing your income/expenses to the penny is key to profitable money management), so for the past few months I've increased my savings by pretending I'm carrying a note on a BRRRR and paying money into an account as if I'm in the middle of a 6 month rehab phase.I recommend that if you haven't laid out a business plan yet, grab a pen and paper and start mapping out your goals and how you'll get there. 

The plan is to rent it back for a year to the tenant and then do seller carried back financing on it for that tenant to acquire the home.