I'm a "prepare for the worst" kind of guy, so I would like to have a few potential people ready right off the bat in the even that he calls me and tells me it's a no-go. 

Filed paperwork in Nov '16 and marshal didnt come to physically evict until Sept/Oct '17... nyc and bronx courts are the worst

Worst case scenario you stay in practice without the pressure of it being where you want to buy so you have a built in out. 

The units do not appear to need any renovations done, however I have few pictures/information on when it was all last done.Numbers:600k listingAll are 2bed 1 bath units, and in the area, renting a room is very typicalRoom rents are between $550 (a room in a SF, condo, or townhome) to ~$900 (1bed 1 bath condo/apartment where you pay to live alone).Rents for 2/1's that are not buy the room could be expected to be in the $1k range, not higher than $1,200.No HOATaxes look to be around $6000 annually.As I run these numbers, even in a near worst case (100% financing, 5% vacancy, $625 rent for the whole unit) it still cashflows.

Your ARV should be based on worst case assumptions about the future market (and in some areas, the future market will likely be substantially lower than it is today).As for renting it out, I'm not familiar with the rents in your area, so you'll want to do your own thorough market analysis of that...however, at face value, it sounds like it would not perform well...For instance, if you bought it with an owner occupant mortgage at 5% down at 6.7% interest, and had an additional 50k of debt for the rehab, the monthly debt service would likely exceed your rent income if the rent is around 1600/mo (but that's just rough math--obviously, you should run your own numbers). 

Neighborhood is probably B, high C at the worst.

The worst case scenario, you learn the processes for it all and with a little savings you might be able to put a future deal together yourself without a partner. 

I am going to begin driving for dollars and plan to target the worst houses in the best neighborhoods, as well as houses owned by someone out of state.

100% would not renew, non sensical exclusions, deductibles and they will send out worst trades people imaginable.

Mitigate your risk and be prepared for the worst.