After I contacted the property manager with the "facts" regarding the pump, they replied that yes, the pump was old, but our tenants jammed some objects into the spa outlets and that caused the pump to fail altogether.

And if a short sale candidate is found, can they be referred to a Short Sale specialist for a finder's fee?

Any objections?

We've talked to many agents who have been dubbed "investor specialists" and NONE of them have been able to provide any near decent customer service.The one agent we did like ending up showing us about a half-dozen properties over 3 hours -- we made 3 offers that day, all at or near full-price.

Bob,You need to get with the owner of the property and get a short sale specialist agent that only does short sales.Cutting through the crud is critical to your success in this case.The current owner will need to sign an (ATR) authorization to release with you or the agent giving permission for them to speak with the bank.The current owner may or may not have to list the property for sale on the open market.Sometimes if the buyer that lives there is willing to pay close to market the bank will try a private short sale.The owner has to go along with you on this.If not you would need a quit claim deed from them to control the property (means whatever interest I have in the property I give to you).

I am local, and will give you an objective estimate of valuation.

I don’t know how prevalent this is with them or if other banks are all of a sudden objecting as well.

You are taking all the risk and while your primary objective is to "flip " this property plan as if it will be buy and hold.investigate the income , see 2% 50% rule.

Try this website to locate a judgment recovery specialist in your area. http://enforcemyjudgment.com/

I have no incentive to cut someone else in on my deals, regardless of the "sweat equity" offer.I figure the main concern a new person has is they are afraid they won't know what to do or say or how to handle objections, etc.