What about the blue dry wall around that one bathroom window?

If someone is willing to let you pay for their boarding and doesn't care that they leave you high and dry to pay the mortgage, they are not a friend.

You can Quit Deed a property from your name into an LLC as soon as the ink dries on the purchase of the new property.Be aware that the lender may have terms that prevent this, or give them cause to call the note due if it is done. 

Once removed, it will not come back so long as the place is completely dry.

I've personally held off buying properties (in a dry market) and invested in bitcoin for a short term profit.

Cost was around $8k for them to essentially gut most of the lower level, remove all sheetrock and insulation, and dry out the lower unit with blowers and a type of humidity vacuum. 

The locals would collect it for their gardens so we would often find piles of it drying out in the backyards. 

It’s offered through Entrata but you should be able to perform screenings independently without purchasing the software, which can be costly unless you’re managing quite a few properties.They even generate approval or fail letters for you that make it fairly clean, cut and dry.

I personally used Macintosh Real Estate and had a good experience but the material is very dry which is going to be true of any class.

As Wayne stated, REO's have pretty much dried up.