But they can give you an idea of what is possible. 

I believe that due to the address change and the company going under that this property has been lost to the world for 12 yrs and that whoever owns it probably Wells Fargo has no idea that they own it.

I have a client who goes to each one and has told me that there are very few deals to be had.A good idea would be go down and observe and meet people.

I think it is a great idea to present a couple of different options to sellers, one of which could include offering a few thousand dollars down and pay the remainder of the purchase price over time, with agreed-upon terms like length of loan, interest rate, amortization, balloon payments (if necessary).

The building is less than 15 years old.I'd be paying close to retail.I do like the idea of not throwing away the money on rent every month, but leaving my current complex for anything less would be difficult for me.  

Any ideas or suggestions?

I've watch plenty of videos and wholesaling seems like the best fit for me but the idea of having rental property one day also excites me. 

Just waiting 3 years for that depreciated market will cost you more than your total profit when you factor taxes, closing costs, depreciation recapture, loss of further depreciation and expense write off, and lost rent (8K a year is nothing to sneeze at)If you really want to sell now then @Ralph R. has the right idea - do a 1031 exchange and shelter the tax.  

That is a great idea.

Obviously seeing both properties in person will give you a better idea of what you think will work best for you.