Welcome @Merritt Harris. you should find this Forum a great place to learn, and share back...

Secondly, in the states I invest in, my plan would be to will move them to executory contracts or lease options to negate the due on sale if I have to but I'd rather control the deed. 

Welcome to BiggerPockets and thanks for joining!

@Alex Pinard welcome to the forums, and yes just about everyone here as been through a similar decision.If we were sitting down having a beer and discussing I'd probably as you the following:- can you leverage your current job or situation to help get you to your end game? 

Any condos built prior to 1978 are likely subject to Los Angeles Rent Control with the exception of how much you can increase rents.

If that is the case, you just need to get a plan set up that will allow you to do that and you can use checkbook control to invest in real estate or other alternatives.  

Welcome to Bigger Pockets, I would love to get you started with your first rental! 

I can keep much tighter control on expenses by not getting ripped off by contractors or property managers and was able to negotiate a better, long term lease with a large international tenant because I knew there were literally no other options in my town. 

Hi Kim, I understand your hesitation, although I don't believe a repair with the pool would be something that could spiral out of control too much.

Properties sold to Fundamental Partners for about 12% below foreclosure value.I wonder if 12% will be enough to weather the storm.I believe these are Fed Low Income Rent controlled, I wonder how much longer that will last (with no ability to raise the rents).There looks to be quite a bit of Physical Damage to some of the brick walls, and the Trash from the pics looks to be piling up to the clouds (Citation Level).I wonder what the occupancy level is, as there seems to be lot of mailbox doors swinging in the wind.Were these guys hand picked by the forecloser to take this over, or did it go to open bid with another lender underwriting a new loan?