If they are willing to pay back rent at all you are lucky, getting them to sign some sort of promissory note would probably be your best bet, but talk to a lawyer. 

Hopefully this would improve my cash flow opportunity along with raise rents, appreciation of the property and attempting to mitigate cost (although I bet a lot of people with experience might laugh at me there).

Julie Andeson ClarkRick DavisDavid NachmanIf you google them their websites will come up.Julie is by far the largest landlord attorney firm, has her own eviction days where only her cases are heard in Kansas City Missouri - she will have a table at the MAREI meeting tomorrow night and I am willing to bet that David and Rick will stop in if they are not on vacation. 

Getting bonded is dirt cheap, and if it weren’t for insurance costs I’d bet there’d be more contractors out there.

Wholesalers are probably your best bet when trying to find a low priced property in order to cash flow.

They are probably just hoping you go away and that the water dries up to sell it to the next sucker that comes around.As far as roof replacement, most counties keep building permit records.

Also having someone in the area that you can rely for unbiased feedback will help you a lot. bets of luck to you in your future investments.

So they go and list it on MLS for 260 it never sells of course because its no deal.it swings back to me and sure enough.. once we dug into it a little more these guys did not realize she owed 195kk against it and it was in foreclosure.. about to be lost.. so they had it tied up  had fouled up her title by recording that document and they were going to lose out. so long story short I told them I would give them 6k and the seller 5k. and stroke a  check on the spot for 211k.. and it was done.they were lucky to get that. but they would have had no compunction ripping 100 to 150k of equity from this older lady in distress.I leveled the house built a new construction that sold for just under 750k and we made right at 200k net profit on the deal.. but I would have passed if I thought these guys were ripping this ladies equity I don't care how much I would have made I can make that on another deal and not take advantage..now granted when folks CLOSE and then resell well all bets are off and its harder to go back and see what someone paid for things.. 

I bet there are areas that don't need to be gutted. 

Wholesalers would be your best bet right now.