I wish you the best on your adventure and hope you find it prosperous and fulfilling.

As long as you continue to pay the monthly mortgage, you can stay in the house and fulfill your father's wishes.

But the seller did not fulfill their part as well;the contract stipulated that the agreement would be void if  items such as rental history and maintenence records  were not provided and it was signed by both parties.  

I figure if I know how to do most of the work I can save money on the labor costs, and it's fulfilling for me to build things.

My industry is stupid and acts like FICO scores are everything, but you don't have to be as stupid as we are compelled tobe.Look at the story the credit report tells you: Are they in the low 600s because of an unexpected medical thing that trashed their ability to fulfill their financial obligations forcing them to sell their home so they could get right with their creditors after several missed/late payments, or because of ridiculous and irresponsible luxury car payment that led to a repossession and them selling their home rather than face foreclosure? 

To add to Steve's great suggestion, use direct mail with a solid fulfillment strategy and make sure you keep hitting those for a sustained period. 4+ mailings at least.

It will definitely take more time and effort, and you would have to weigh the costs of capital/leverage to fulfill such a time intensive project.

The trust is used so that two separate transactions are NOT needed, and also is used to fulfill the 90 day FHA seasoning.

You are endangering your tenant as well as yourself by not fulfilling your requirements as a landlord. 

They then send a list from Zillow to clients of crappy properties and say they have fulfilled their obligation.