@Nat Chan  I don't have any words of wisdom since I don't own any 4-plex buildings, but I genuinely have sympathy for you. 

@Nick KenrickYour questions are legitimate, but you're probably not going to find much sympathy for your ideas on this site.

Again, my sympathies. 

Were you expecting people here to give sympathy because you did something wrong and poor you that you only got $27k in cash and another property out of it?

Ugh, you have my sympathies.

I have complete sympathy for those who really do not have the money.

I have ZERO sympathy.

Sorry, you're not going to get much sympathy here for unpaid rent.

@Dylan Grieve On my probate letters I use the same exact letter I use with my high equity owners- saying essentially: I want to buy your house and here's why you might benefit from selling to an investor.I think if the letter tries to sympathize you may end up offending people because they may perceive the sympathy as insincere and that you really just 'want' something from them.I prefer my probate letters to seem more coincidental- they're going through inheriting a house and 'just so happen' to get a letter about selling the house.All that said, the best bet with any direct marketing is to test because you won't know until you try it.

Then you will have a mom who doesnt work with 3 kids playing the sympathy card .