The shopping around is long over due. 

Once I realized how much money and time it was going to take to completed the lengthy list of to-do's that piled up, I decided it was time to switch strategies and turn this into a house hack.

I wrote a pretty lengthy article on it HERE. 

Reps from the bank recently stopped by and said that because of the default on payments it would be going into foreclosure, but I know this process can be a lengthy one.

LOL, we are on the same Wave-Length, I am confident we will get a good response.

Which means the bank could call the loan due immediately, without all the lengthy non-sense required to foreclose, if the property is transferred to you.Second, you need to know, directly from the bank how much it would take to bring the loan current and avoid the short sell.  

Hey @Scott Brown ,Here's the 2017 MN Statues rules on it...https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/504B/pdf504B.271 TENANT'S PERSONAL PROPERTY REMAINING IN PREMISESIt's too lengthy and detailed to post here, but copy the above line, go to that website (revisor) and scroll down to page 28 (of 52) and all your questions should be answered.

In the end I had to find an off-market deal in order to get a duplex in the area I wanted as every time I made an offer on an already listed property I was passed over due to using FHA.

I had a pretty lengthy conversation with owner so this arraignment could meets his needs.   

Also, the amount of time he has to sue you after the transaction will be lengthy since it will be determined by the statute of fraud rather than any real estate statute.