That is a great place to start, as well as hitting some local real estate investor meetups so you can meet some other house hackers in person who have done what you want to do.

Appreciate if any personal experience can be shared that triggered the need.Thanks

Now just realize it will STILL need to be demoed , they dont burn it to the ground , and demo guys hate dealing with burnt materials . 

Here in AZ you can look up the personal representative as they are appointed.

I agree with the person who said they are likely short of money and grasping at straws.

I had a “lender” tell me he’d give me a personal loan with a fixed 4% rate on a 30 year term at whatever amount I wanted because he would like to “build a relationship” with me. 

Since then, I've documented the process as a Boutique Hotel investor and have a deep commitment to sharing my knowledge around Boutique Hotel Investing with others who are looking for a path to financial freedom, and Boutique Hotels is the best path to get there in my personal opinion.

It can be price or unique amenity or your personal charm! 

Would the person who takes on more labor to repair the property have greater preferred equity or is this usually treated differently?

I suspect the person who originally turned it into a fiveplex only applied for permits to make a fourplex and then did the 5th unit fly by night (perhaps at a later date) in order so the property would still be considered residential and allow for better financing possibilities.