There are numerous reasons why I would like to start with MF, rather than SFR (economies of scale, fewer investors to compete with, allows for use of professional management, etc.).

Is there anything illegal about asking them to start a bidding war?

The advantages of investing local or nearby are numerous and the disadvantages of investing 1000 miles away are numerous.

There are numerous BP podcasts that have harped on this exact point.

Either way I will not get into a bidding war over the property.

Long story short, he visited the area before closing and promptly announced that Baltimore was a war zone compared to London, and that he was bailing.  

Neighborhood is on the lower income area of town but not anything like a war zone.

I tell her what my contractor had said of $60k or $70k and she said that was lower than the two she already had.With the amount of work needing to be done, I decided to pass rather than get into a bidding war.

For example, inner city land has increased in value by $50k in the last 6 months, bidding wars have been seen, and over asking prices received, and is now hard to even get at any price.  

Pm me if you want to talk further and I can share my conventional lender war stories with you.