You can also grab probate info yourself from the county, but you'll have to physically go to the courthouse and go through each file to pull address & executor/admin info.There are a lot of new data feed sources popping up lately, but I don't have any experience with them. 

You will want a CPA to do some tax planning with you to make sure you are set up optimally for your situation from the start, and you will want to work with an attorney to talk to every contingency and have it addressed in an operating agreement. 

Or is it more time effective to just simply put an offer in with a due diligence clause?

Try to get a list of all the peolpe in your area that have a tax bill mailed to a different address then the subject property (likely to be renting them out)... and preferrably they have multiple properties that way.

The two houses are not touching or anything, and it's pretty common in the area to have carriage house apartments, so addresses that aren't actually on the street is also common (the second house does have its own house number, it isn't a 1/2 or anything.)Can anyone think of any reasons that the current owners might NOT have wanted or been able to split this property in two and sell the houses individually?

As far as I can tell, then tenant has no effect on the cost of landlord insurance.

So, the effective rate is $0.

I've been told that letters aren't the most effective way to contact owners of large apt. complexes.Supposedly, the best way to get into the loop and have the first crack at purchasing larger multi-family properties before they hit the market is to (1) network with commercial real estate professionals such as Scott the CCIM (2) join commercial real estate organizations such as the IREM, BOMA, NAA, and ICSC or befriend individuals that are members (3) approach a property owner in the flesh and (4) network some more.You agree Scott?

These are not investors buying, these are people like you and I who have normal jobs and are just looking for a place to call home.Salaries aside, you didn't even address any of the other issues that I mentioned also play into the cost of housing.

When I started out, I drove through neighborhoods looking for vacants and wrote down addresses and info on about 100 houses.