Over the last 30 years I’ve bought over 600 properties at foreclosure auctions, and a healthy percentage of those properties were owned by an investor who at one time thought they were making a smart real estate investment.  

@Brenden Mitchum The easiest solution would be to make the sale contingent on the current owner giving notice to all current tenants and start clean with your own people who you can work out RUBS agreement with.

Due to Jess's declining health, I quit my full-time job in IT over one year ago and only recently started working part-time again.

Before going to contract next time ask if there is a CLEAN phase one on the property performed within the last 6 months?

After pulling the roots I was sure to wipe the the butt end of the auger several times to make it clean.

If they are out on the 31st and the place is clean, you've had 2 weeks to market it for rent-not ideal but better than nothing. 

Any recommendations on other neighborhoods that have a healthy mix of distressed/retail properties?

Some townhomes (not condos) can be good deals;- HOA is healthy- HOA allows rentals iwth no limits.  

Rinse and repeatToday the US economy, stock market and RE market is healthy.

My favorite is the tenant that complained that the toilet was old and needed to be replaced because that was causing him to miss when he urinated and it was becoming a real pain for him to have to clean that up every time.