The (new) owners are only after the easy cash, naturally & have no inclination to upgrade either the property or their screening process. 

In my state, CA, there are different level of powers, best evident by examining a document alternatively called probate Letters Testamentary (if subject the decedent's will) or Letters of Administration (intestate - no will).

Alternatively, you can always go the short sale or foreclosure route, but if this were me, I'd go land contract. 

The alternative is known as "transactional funding."

Check out www.securityproductsnow.com this website has some alternatives for self-defense items...

For the estate there's time delay - public nature - expense as well as the dynamics involved in probate and the mixed emotions the family is going through.

After doing this flip I am currently working on I realized that it is second nature and very easy for me. 

As an alternative to a 203k you can look into a Fannie Mae Homestyle Renovation loan for the repairs. 

Living cheaply while the hubby is on deployment :) Honestly the military's transient nature is the best kept secret.

I recommend that anybody who is a landlord of property in Philadelphia should join HAPCO; HAPCO is a landlord organization that happens to offer the services of an eviction attorney at reasonable prices.And regarding utilities - in Philadelphia PGW (natural gas) and Water Revenue Bureau can bot place a lien on a property if those utilities go unpaid, even if the lease requires that the tenant make those payments.