That could be the case in CO as well.

@John Warren I think this might be your case, in point.

I think this is the case in almost every major metro area.  

I agree, giving public notice in the legal news section of the local paper, in a manner generally required for creditors will help your case in the event it goes south later on.

Is it just the city itself, or is this also the case in the surrounding counties?

I would prefer title to not get transferred, should i do a option to buy in this case?In

that area is one of the areas of rural or semi rural Washington that was or has been in steep decline with the decline in the fishing industry and logging industry.. and so its an area you can find those beater houses that work for BRRR.. that used to be the case in Longview but that's got spill over from PDX finally and prices have really firmed up but its a tough rental crowd .. don't kid yourself..

Managing the rehab process remotely isn't that much of a concern in my case in terms of knowing what needs to be done because I've been involved in rehabs and flips here locally, so I feel I have a fairly good grasp on the scope of work questions. 

This is not the case in this scenario.

It's really competitive right now (as is the case in many parts of the country), but I'm sure there are hidden gems to be found.