Banks built amazing liquidation strategies post-'08', they found so many ways to monetize an REO it would make your head spin, and yes that includes holding a vacant property on balance sheet. 

With regards to department of health: wow yes, I should find that out first before i even spin my wheels finding an investor.

Spin it any way you want, but you have none.

Which put me in a tail spin. 

Turn off you main water shut off going  into the house  .Go back to the water meter see if it is spinning if so you need to dig up the water line .Lot of the time the pit with the meter is the leak .

I wish I'd invested this way from the beginning, rather than spinning my wheels so hard with active investing. 

Not saying that is the case here, but they will spin the numbers how they want to tell the story. 

Without marketing and sells, the world would stop spinning.

Chasing obituary leads before probate begins I think you will just be spinning your wheels. 

I am a huge believer in scripts, collapse your learning curve - model after success.I agreed with all prior posts: be yourself, be honest and let them talk - but if you don't know what to ask them then you risk spinning your wheels, getting frustrated and quitting.