I don't know anything about stagnant wages, here in Denver I'm an employer and I'm paying wages that are higher than the skills workers possess.  

Maybe someone that possesses more knowledge than I surrounding those types of markets can offer up some advice.

In all states I know of you must possess a real estate broker/salespersons license to sell or market property you do not own, hence the requirement to be licensed.  

Some jurisdictions have procedures for "adverse possession" where you take possession of the property and pay taxes for a certain number of years, then you can go into court and establish your ownership.

With the quitclaim deed, you would also have color of title -which can be helpful in paying the property taxes and for claiming adverse possession or for later quieting title.

Pay the property taxes, care for, cultivate and/or cheaply fence the property and wait out the period of Adverse Possession.   

We are thinking about doing tacking adverse possession.

Legal eviction means you will be forcibly removed from the apartment by police and your possessions will be removed as well.

(If you request an optional accompanied walk-through prior to vacating your apartment, this must occur no later than one week prior to your return of possession of the unit to us and only after the apartment has been emptied and cleaned.)

You taking possession under that court order is invalid, unlawful, and is trespass.