I am not an attorney, but I have fixed up numerous house and have run 2 construction companies and can speak from my years of experience in California.

So far Ohio, Indiana and kentucky  seem like they may worth taking a closer look at ( a purely numeric observation). 

@Paul Wakim, thank you for the detailed explanation of what you managed to do with your own culled lists using a programmer's services.

After listening to dozens of podcasts, and reading numerous real estate investing blogs and books I'm concerned that the following will doom me to failure.I'm not interested in traveling and I don't salivate over quotes.I've noticed repeatedly that real estate investing masters love nothing more than going on a vacation, and it just doesn't do it for me.

The estoppel comes later during the inspection phase (see explanation below).I would ask for a list of repairs and/or upgrades since they've owned it.

There's numerous 20-somethings through 40-somethings dotted all over the beltline. 

My explanation was more for the benefit of other folks who might be "vulnerable" to accidentally investing themselves into a job;) Yes those micro units are intriguing to me.

I think an explanation would go a long way to soften the blow of a low offer. 

Thank you Shiloh for your detailed explanation.   

They have numerous evictions, a theft record, the good tenant says they steal her stuff and their kids pull pieces of the house off (siding corners), and best for last, when they failed to pay the electric and it got turned off, they switched the meters, which of course is dangerous and put the good tenant in a mess with the electric co that was sending her the bills!!!