We were able to get Liability coverage through the excess/surplus market from a specialty carrier. 

Seeing that you're from South Dakota I'm sure you're aware of the surplus of straw bales typically used for cattle feed.

I have my finances in order, but don't have a surplus of time or money as the military keeps me plenty busy.

If you aren't exactly sure on your criteria and want to explore, it's best to at least set a broad criteria in markets so you can compare between markets to see which one best suits you.An example: I'm interested in small multifamily investing so I will target markets which have a surplus of small multifamily properties to start off.

I want to get an better understanding how do an surplus contract work .

If the above does not work, PM me the address and I may be able to suggest some Excess (surplus) Lines companies that will write the land.

(For those too young to remember we had an actual budget surplus in 1999.) 

This is a problem because in working with traditional renters, the process to identify and qualify a tenant can be fairly rapid, and if the property is well priced for the market, the landlord may have a surplus of tenants to choose from.

Kalamazoo has a surplus of cheap older multifamily homes, so I assume they are not worth it as investments for landlords due to low rent prices.

They aren't allowed to profit from interest on the balance, for example, and they have to periodically audit the account, and refund you any surplus.