The cash flow and expenses are easy to find and work with, but I'm having to go to a large radius and back a full year to even find 5 remotely similar properties and often have to use judgement that they are in a similar area.

You would need to get a court judgement to determine if the tenant is responsible for damages beyond the deposit amount in order to collect any further money. 

The filing of probate and judgement of possession can happen in about two weeks, therefore heirs have the ability to sell pretty quickly. 

A lot of states protect homestead from judgements other than delinquency on mortgage.

If so, you should have received a judgement.

I know in many places here the landlord has 30 days to send a final judgement.

In most jurisdictions, judgement in favor of the landlord is much more swift for non-payment of rent than for other reasons.How long have you been a landlord and what have you done so far to learn the skills of residential property management?

Also,  I think the collection agency is gonna want 30-50% of the collectable debt as their fee, and they will not be that motivated since their percentage of what you are owed, is not enough to justify too many man(person)-hours.I know some pros that always do the judgement, because some percentage of the people that they have judgements on, will want a job(government clearances) or mortgage that requires them clearing up that blemish, and the person will eventually come back to them later to clear up, without a collection agency.

That property could be subject to confiscation if a judgement was obtained. 

Everyone has their philosophy and I wasn't trying to pass judgement, just put descriptors that will make it clear enough to everyone what each means...