I read a number of reports mostly related to Strategic Outlooks and here are a few numbers if you can see my chart below without lines..

Many short sales can take 6 months plus and others are strategic short sales where home owners use them simply to avoid foreclosure and stay ini the home for free for longer.

What's the best niche and financial strateg(ies) for someone who wants to develop a buy and hold rental strategy with some certain following conditions:- primary residence paid in full- low-middle 5 figure savings to invest- low 6 figure retirement accounts that probably would get rolled to a self-directed IRA- currently work full time and can't (won't) just quit, but want to move to something more about me than some company I (used to) work for over the course of some reasonable number of years- not super knowledgeable of tax / legal / real estate / construction issues, but certainly willing to learn- I pay my bills, so I assume my credit’s good.

Seems to me you're not asking about whether or not your making the right strategic decision, but whether you have covered all the bases to prepare for a possible eviction and are handling the pay or quit notice properly.Hopefully someone with more experience, preferably from GA, can chime in.

I've always used a good EA, but she's not much help when I have questions or need input on strategic tax planning vis-a-vis my properties, so I need your guy!

Or is this strategic if you are looking to flip etc.

As an LP you have no say on procedural nor strategic matters, which is why you MUST be able to underwrite the opportunity from here to Timbaktu before you deploy capital. 

I am also motivated to bring rent up to market, however I want to go about things strategically to avoid losing tenants.

The agent I want to work with has to see the big picture and want to build a long-term strategic partnership with me.

I understand they can't release too many properties on the market at once as that would saturate the market, cause home prices to drop and cause other homes to strategically stop making payments...But still, what is our major obstacle in acquiring these properties for cheaper than at foreclosure auctions?