Another post someone made a comment about how “he can help the seller avoid foreclosure”These types of predatory messages also can get you in deep hot water as they have no intention of helping they just want the house at a discount

I would look at the value of the rentals before you make a decision to see if that makes sense for you.Regarding the furnishings, if you have to pay more for them (again here in FL, properties are generally listed fully furnished and you don't really get a discount to tell people to take the crap out - in fact, I had one guy refuse a good offer because one of my conditions was for them to take their crap!  

Its good that you've already established some target markets, I'd recommend diving deep into 1 or 2 markets, then branching out. 

In Florida most of our compliments are of the outdoor amenities (pool, heated pool, spa) etc.We have a discount on Helix mattresses we extend to our clients and have been getting quite a few compliments on the mattresses. 

Any "spreadsheet freaks" out there are gonna be amazed when you dig deep into crunching the numbers. 

I find a lot of investors do basic analysis and don’t dig deep enough.

Quote from @Femi Alakija: As a newbie, I plan to gain a deep understanding of real estate fundamentals, including financing, property evaluation, and market trends. 

when the OP said the bank is WILLING to take 91k to me that means or infers a default situation and a discount..

Here are the pros as i see it: easy (no purchase necessary, you know the property), likely prop 13 property tax discount, possibly below current rate loan.  

You can take a deep look at the deals and get an idea of the kind of variety you'll see and come up with your own due diligence method (that meets your unique situation).