The only other option that comes to mind is to make the improvements and try to achieve favorable rental rates to push the story that 2 BR homes rent for a premium because its unique.

Unless you have a way of sourcing deals or access to a crew (cheap labor), it's going to be very, very difficult.As for a market, I lived in Houston for a dozen years and still own property there.

Might have indeed had $1.3 million and still working for the man, and a pot of $$ that I still couldn’t access without the gubmit telling me when, how, and how much. 

With a smaller syndicator you will have access to the general partners for questions or phone calls.

Pros: Lower interest rates, flexible access to funds, and leverage without selling your home.

Do you have cash reserves for capital expenses and improvements? 

I was a SWO for 8 years, and the best thing I did to improve my financial life was real estate investing. 

With a recast, my monthly payment could drop, improving cash flow.3.

When you can access the opportunities first, you can qualify the lead first, analyse and find the best deals first, reach out and build rapport first , offer your solution first (rather than having your offer thrown on a pile of others the individual has already been given) and so on.

I do have a very specific and curated buy box, so I know what i'm looking for in terms of zoning, lot size, buildable/improvable sqft, location, etc.With that being said, do you still not recommend going through sheriff sales?