and the property had a private dwelling value appraisal much higher than the public property appraiser claims. 

Hey Rebecca, I'm a broker and investor up in Sacramento and manage about 100 investment properties (STR and LTR).Many of my clients are high W2 earners seeking "bonus depreciation" to offset tax liability by investing in STR.

Prices a few years ago were based on expectations of (in addition to interest rates staying low): - Then current operating cost assumptions (like insurance cost expectations being flat)- A seeming disregard for record levels of new inventory / supply hitting the market- Extremely high inbound migration expectations which are likely to not be met, due to both natural disasters and the boomerang effect when people from California or the Northeast move to the American South and hate every minute of the humidity, the large and relentless swarm of insects, and the occasional hurricane. 

There are a lot of high character folks who get sucked into garbage Co-GP style guru programs.

you can use a DSCR loan if your DTI is too high for conventional. 

One who is active still and recently did a case study write up like this is Don Konipol, the other pops on every now and again and did a BP episode many years ago Aaron Mazzrillo so search those two names and read some threads.A more likely scenario is not what you mentioned as the ever growing note/value deal, at least not as outlined.

We have a high saturation of rentals that has caused the market to lose money. 

I feel that you should have about 30k-80k in equity ($250k-300k property value) based upon the little bit of information you have told us and my experience in palm bay, FL / Brevard County, FL.

You still claim the income as miscellaneous income and deduct property taxes and mortgage interest (subject to SALT and other high mortgage limitations) on your Schedule A, but that's it.2. 

Do you need to provide proof of funds at the bid or are the actual funds due at the time you win bid?