but i hear ya. you do get what you pay for though and its not a race.. real estate is a long game and to me far more important to buy quality assets then taking 2 steps forward and 1 backward.. you may want to try both and see how they play out.. remote rehab simply is the most risky thing you can do in RE full stop.

However, you may be able to get the property at a discount, step in, and solve the problem.

There's no step by step guide but there are key things : Learn: RE strategies, what interests you, what do people in your area need.Connect: find a mentor, accountability group and be around those doing what you want to do.Help: solve problems- do people need dealflow, property mgmt, construction expertise, etc. 

I made an image showing the steps how to have AI drive for dollars for you in DealMachine.

Is it worth doing any work to it as an "owner", possibly me going the property management way, or just stepping away from it entirely until the deed transfer?

Include all expenses like property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and property management fees if you’re not managing it yourself.Network Like Crazy: You’ve already made a great first step by joining this group!

Claims require certain types of evidence to pass each step.

Yes, that depends if the “Step Up”rules still exist.J.

Personally I would regulate them the same way as Brokers as that's what they are, but this is a step in the right direction for sure. 

That said, you could go to the mayor and police chief and ask what steps were taken with the involved officers.