I’m going to disagree with @Chris Seveney and say whether an assignee could force a sale directly would be a state law issue and heavily dependent upon the contract terms. 

If you’re looking for ways to make the numbers work, sometimes that means evaluating different markets, financing options, or property management strategies that help mitigate risks like vacancies and maintenance surprises.You’re not alone in feeling like 2025 could go in multiple directions, but one thing remains true—real estate continues to be one of the strongest vehicles for long-term wealth when approached the right way.

You can try door knocking, scary but direct way to chat with owners/renters.

My contact info is in my bio as well.Good luck!

We do not have contacts with private lenders at this time.

Your taxes are none of the ex wife's business and this would seem to address your concerns.I would also put her on notice that future requests for financial discovery will be two-way and if a discrepancy is seen in the other direction you will seek support from her.

But for many people, it is one of a number of sources of deal flow, to add to MLS listings, wholesalers, direct owner outreach, auction, etc.Assuming you are specifically talking about sheriff auctions, just make sure you familiarize yourself with the general procedures for the auction.  

The homeowner has direct title, can sell at any time and gets 100% of the appreciation and tax benefits on these houses.

We have a Direction to Pay as part of our EMD lenders agreement.

.- If you try to hire contractor directly, you have about a 90%+ chance of getting taken advantage of.