Most commonly used is an affidavit of heirship (AH).If it gets too dicey for the underwriter to feel comfortable issuing a policy, you will need to help the seller locate an attorney to open a probate case (because if the seller could have done it on her own, she would have by now). 

It's a very old property (late 1800s), so I will be wanting to set aside a good chunk of money in a reserve account for maintenance and Capex.I'm currently self-employed and write off everything under the sun (that's legal, of course) on Schedule C including all home office & related deductions, most of my automobile miles, cell phone, etc, etc, etc. 

That said, if I could rent the place such that there was no extended gap between tenants, is it common place to charge the fee they agreed to in signing the lease?

Everything takes time so start by figuring out how to get sellers on the phone, while continuously networking.

Rent to own would be one of the more common. see if seller has interest.  

What profit margin is common? 

Is Special Warranty Deed a common practice for multi family apartment deals?

To me, that means after the closing date, not "if it actually closes and title transfers".I'm going to make that phone call Monday morning to the Department of State for clarification, but I really don't like this.

What is a  good phone skit as a wholesaler when making cold calls?

What is the best real estate CRM for my android phone?