Iv'e been debating whether or not this whole pandemic had really effected me from moving on with my plans.

Unless you have a lot of experience in searching and examining title is tough to be sure you have identified all the documents that may affect title and being sure what effect they may have. 

While 1031 Exchanges are clearly not the 1st priority right now, people who took the time & expense to set up these transactions, & were (or will get) shut out through no fault of their own (county clerk's offices closed or whatever the reason may be), should not be hit with a tax they weren't supposed to pay under our tax code.  1031's should be honored.Denial of 1031 benefits also affects a chain of other transactions with a domino effect, clearly not something we need right now in our economy. 

And when you do eventually do become a Broker, you'll then need to ensure you have your own EEO and business liability coverage, and likely many other fees should you decide to open a Bricks 'n Mortar company.  ...so in a nutshell, I would say "NO', it is not cost effective to become a Broker strictly to save on your own deals. 

CapEx is low - looking at the pics you'll need a roof in 1-5 years (most local landlords list their properties at the end of the effective lifespan of their roof so they can avoid the expense.

What is the most effective strategy; Is it best to send the same letter over and over until they respond, same letter different format, different letter?

Or get a bulk-messenging service if you wanted to get even cheaper (even though its not as effective as cold call). 

The potential for an upcoming recession is very real and may effect property values, but again, it is too soon to know how long lasting any recession will truly be and what the overall fallout is for your area. 

Instead of just 'winging it', I'd like to have an effective script to use with these potential sellers. 

It's not that I'm opposed to the long distance reno, though I just figured it would take loads of contractors to do so and at some point it just doesn't become cost effective.