I was glad that I didn't let it drag on as I got her out in early Feb. 

Not that I think it's a good idea to intentionally lead the bank astray, but if his tenants "refuse" to vacate for him, and he can show he's going through the motions (which could easily drag on for that first year) to get the tenants out, then no way has the OP committed any kind of fraud. 

It can drag on with the amount of daylight dipping down to about 5 hours and 45 minutes at the end of December.

It's going to drag on.

You're a good landlord who cares about having nice properties to rent to your tenants, yet their policy has you considering no longer making investments in their community because of not only the PITA factor, but also the drag on your bottom line.

Buying vacant properties will be a MAJOR drag on your cash flow and I would not do that.Learning and starting multiple businesses is probably not a good plan.

The average deals take the cash flow away from the other properties to a neutral position and also cause a drag on the overall portfolio being able to get new loans. 

(I used to play dungeons and dragons so maybe that's why I think that way LOL)Alright, here's a practical tip You should have a list of diligence items that you'll be requesting from the Seller.

Sounds amazing and a bit like actually riding a real dragon or some other fantasmal creature in real life, not just my dreams.

That is money well spent to receive the house in decent condition plus keys, and avoid eviction which can drag on for months.