As Jason pointed out, there are legitimate reasons why many investors choose to stay away from properties like this one.  

You then responded to Steven's very legitimate reasons why to not *generally* hold properties in a corporation.

Our growth here is based upon a legitimate job boom, and a high birth rate so there is no bad debt bubble in this state.

I don't trust companies in general that use an already established bank/company name in an apparent attempt to confuse or sound legitimate.

There are legitimate professional buyers at Auction.com but they tend to get bid up by people who have no clue what they are doing.Everyone wants EASY to locate deals but uncovering the gems takes work and a lot of time.

Some of the concerns and issues i have encountered and my two cents, whatever that is worth may assist with your dealings with the next contractor you encounter or need.Preface is that we are in a dire need for skilled help and as the blue collar/white collar debate over college seems to escalate contractors will continue to have more work than they could possibly handle if they run a legitimate business.1.

I had thoughts that "legitimizing" my business would be a smart first step.a.k.a. making a website, having business cards, getting a separate "business" phone/voicemail to answer prospective leads inquiring about properties or offering them.Would anyone suggest that this is the right direction to go before spending money on direct mailing campaigns/driving for dollars/running advertisements via craigslist or any other source?

If you are up front about wanting to make multiple offers, all well below listing price, but are able to close on the one that's accepted, that's a legitimate strategy, and an agent should be happy to work with you.

I believe that most markets have legitimate opportunities, but it is the local contact which will guide you either to profits or not.

You can then get on the SEC website to confirm that the documents are legitimate.