I wanted to chime in in regards to the investment purchase guidelines.

.- Legal and Tax Complications:Navigating different state laws and tax regulations can be complex and confusing.Out-of-state investing can be a great way to grow your real estate portfolio, but weighing the benefits against the potential challenges is essential.

You could try the angle that the owner was trying to manage too many units before and now that you've taken over legal responsibility for the worst ones, you will make sure things go smoothly. 

Please read up on this to avoid any legal issues.

There is a world of difference in legal liability. 

Is this legal? 

Legally, Is the tenant obligated to provide that information?

FHA has caught on to this trend & updated the guidelines to prevent people from abusing FHA financing.Here are the guidelines directly from the FHA Handbook:Policy Exceptions Eligibility RequirementsRelocation: A Borrower may be eligible to obtain another FHA insured Mortgage without being required to sell an existing Property covered by an FHA-insured Mortgage if the Borrower is: • relocating or has relocated for an employment related reason; and • establishing or has established a new Principal Residence in an area more than 100 miles from the Borrower’s current Principal Residence.

Having a renter responsible on a residence for all repairs and upkeep can lead to legal problems down the line.

Actually, we will be drilling down on this to see what legal options are available.