The real issue is whether you can prove that you had the intent to hold the property for rental, investment or use in your business.The easiest way to demonstrate your intent to hold a property for investment or use in your business is to do just that.

If you have no experience and lack demonstrated skills, you need to partner with someone who can carry the ball across the goal line before you get relatives, friends and friends of friends involved.

So, in short, it is all about your ability to demonstrate that you truly did have the intent to hold for rental/investment purposes.

Demonstrate your value as a painless option for a grieving and/or family in turmoil over who gets what.  

@Timothy Albright  demonstrate on paper that bad things won't happen to convince the seller that financially he gets more than by just selling for a discount.

You need to be able to pull good comps that you can show your buyers that will demonstrate the likely ARV.

I've taken 70 pictures of property defects to assist me in demonstrating repair work needed on the existing structure.If the money people make an offer, the shortsale process will already be started.What you think?

Sounds like you have a reasonable set of skills to bring to the table, the hard part is going to be you being able to demonstrate that skill set to enough investors to get some to bite.

If you're not willing to demonstrate those things the Realtor is an unpaid tour guide.

However that requires some form of demonstration that you are a good risk (or the person is just charitable and wants to risk an investment on someone with out a track record.. credit).