Start joining investment clubs, attend investor mixers and ultimately get out there and shake more hands.

Property management: while we plan on managing the property ourselves while we live there (my husband is in the military and we just started a 3 year tour in Chicago), we may look to a property management company to help maintain the property when we move (depending on our tenants and how the numbers shake out).

When you look at an overgrown "obviously-the-last-dude-had-a-green-thumb" types of homes you tend to be anchored by that appeal FROM THE CURB, which is a hard anchor to shake. 

It's not as easy as just shaking hands with your buddy.2.

The deal should have died at that point but did not.Perhaps @Peter Walther will chime in here on how this would theoretically shake out if the judgment lien holder were made aware of this situation. 

Will give both a fair shake and see how it works out.

If you stay in the 12603 side of Poughkeepsie you have great schools.Beacon is definitely bid up, and it's hard to shake any deals loose.  

Sometimes the velvet glove works better than the Iron Fist.Might be worthy to go-a-visitin' on Sunday and bring some doughnuts and coffee and discuss the situation with the new owner.Explain what you know, and listen to what they know and see if a conclusion can be reached.Doughnuts and coffee are a lot cheaper than an Attorney (as last resort), and these are your neighbors, do you want to have bad feelings.What if your place needs a little something while you are not there, Iron fist makes enemies, velvet glove makes friends.If it were mine I'd shake a hand and make a friend and try to solve it in person.It might be they don't understand, or they just don't want strangers walking through their land.Just my 2 cents.https://www.youtube.com/watch?

I have an old house converted to duplex. 1 unit up, 1 down.The house has no insulation, so if you fart in bed, the other tenant will hear it.I currently have a situation where a new downstairs tenant has a young autistic child who literally runs from front to back of the house, all, day,  long, and it shakes the floor and walls. 

Start networking, meet people, shake hands and you'll be blown away by the amount of progress you'll make.