With my luck, I'd buy a 1,000 acres for 10K US, then someone would file forged documents and take me to court and they would find in thier favor, if I was on premises, I'd probably be arrested for tresspassing and get a court date in a year, be fund guilty and serve 5 years, but someone in prison would get killed and I'd get blamed and end up with a life sentence!

zillow is also notorious for having listings "available" that are either in contract, sold, or other.  

@Mike MorekenRight now, Zillow lists 142 properies in Trenton available for less than (or equal to) $50k - and properties there are notoriously available at prices much LESS than their "Zestimate"! 

Many, probably most, investors are notoriously busy with other things, and just not able to get to their projects often enough.

The lien will be released after I self surrender for prison, I'm looking at five years.

If you, the wheeler dealer, pro RE investor type convinces a seller to enter into a loan agreement you devised, make no mistake, your tail is flapping in the wind too.People can agree to all sorts of things, they may or may not be legal, if the parties reach the conclusion desired, no muss or fuss, everyone is happy.....okay.However, individuals unlike corporate entities suffer from what is called "life events" these are events that happen to individuals, they die, the go into a hospital or nursing home, they get divorced, they take bankruptcy, they get sued, they go to prison or they might even talk to someone like their attorney about something else and mention an arrangement.These life events usually cause other eyes to begin looking at financial dealings, any life event can cause a financial matter.

I understand that is a notoriously bad time of year to lease, so am concerned that I will have to go in at a lower rate.Are there any suggestions of what I can do to mitigate this potential issue?

Let this be a lesson that there are sooooo many ways to make big money LEGALLY and without risk of prison!

Also, he was apparently seen stealing the bike of another new tenant and has a guy now living in his unit that just got out of prison.

Here bailiffs and sheriffs are not armed, or at most carry batons and pepper spray when transporting prisoners.