More importantly, learn to identify property debt and title issues before you look for owners that are MIA.

Help identify those opportunities, and present properties for your investor to consider purchasing to take advantage of market conditions.

Any reliable tips/resources for identifying past and current market trends for the neighbourhood/street?

So really that's why it worked so long.. to small of money to really get anyone excited.. the FBI got a few complaints but they are not going to move on something were one person lost 10k.. this lady found 100's of people and put them all together to show this big pattern.. then the Feds moved in when they could see this was multi millions.

Every time... unless you have been properly trained to work on and identify electrical issues. 

You are considering "off market" property, that is, property that is not being publicly offered for sale in the normal channels (MLS, FSBO, etcetera).So, your challenge is to only identify potential properties but the added (major) step of locating the owner who wants to sell for terms sufficient that you can carve out a profit.You need to have some criteria for what would make a deal to you or your end buyer.Also, let's get something clear.

In trying to something helpful, he create a nice, textured, sidewalk-colored stamped concrete pattern where the old sidewalk had been, instead of replacing it with bare concrete.

It's hard to say there's a 'best plan', because I feel like each seller is different.I think your best process is:1) Identify their problem2) Try to help them solve itMaybe the problem is repair, taxes, distance, disinterest ... maybe they don't have a problem at all (maybe not great candidates for seller financing).  

Unless the property is owned by a LLC or Land Trust you will be identified as the owners through the tax assessor anyway if they really look into it.Cons- You are negotiating from a position of weakness if you lack the firmness to say "no" and enforce the lease.  

If you are looking at cash flow, this is a good price point, you will need to move quickly to identify the properties.