Yes, that simply means the bank is enforcing their contractual right to take over “preservation” of the house, and add the costs to the mtg balance, until they foreclose.

If he or she refuses to accept, keep a record of your attempt.

Ten years ago, this city was simply *blah*.  

I spoke to a few people that understood what I was attempting to do and they all said the same as you guys.

It gave me time to focus on simply finding a deal and making it happen. 

If they don't like it, they can simply move out. 

@Ajeenah Wilkins if you don't have much money, attempting to flip a house might not be your best first step.

What are the benefits of doing this vs. contacting investors directly and simply being a wholeseller (other than the fact I only know the one investor!)? 

Extremely rural is harder to sell simply because fewer people live in extremely rural areas.One of the weaknesses you show with your questions is that you have no buyers.

I just have to be a contrarian here @Caleb Heimsoth  as Caleb states I cannot think of anything risker than remote rehab for beginners.. keep in mind the author is a very experienced real estate professional and what works for him simply is not germane for beginners I know they want to sell books on this site.. but I fear there is going to be some really sad people that try to do this and simply don't know what they don't know.. all to just save 5 to 10k  extra that a flipper that does all the work and takes all the risk makes bringing you a finished product.. you can lose 10 to 20k in a heart beat doing this if not more..