Please don't count out furthering your formal education for the hopes of getting rich in real estate.

Wells Fargo is a bit unique... they get fined/penalized so much that they evidently turned their restitution payments into a formal first time homebuyer down payment assistance program.

Although I'm not promoting myself as an educator and do not provide any formal curriculum or program, I do foster a "learn by doing" experience from the nature of the JV relationshipI hope this helps to answer your question about the motivation from the experienced investor side.Bob***Moderator note that this reply is to respond to the poster's question and not intended to be a promotion of any of kind***

Then there is foreclosure and if it’s a judicial foreclosure I see people ignore the fact that after the sale it can take 1-3 months before the courts ratify the sale and it is closed.

Also, instead of Prothonotary, Philadelphia has the "Office of Judicial Records".

Even in non judicial foreclosures isn’t a NOS recorded somewhere?

If you get his name you can look online in the judicial records in Maryland and see if he's been convicted and if so what for.

Thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself 'formally'. 

You could make a formal complaint to the real estate commission. 

If they choose an option, draft a formal PSA or option and go under contract!