It seems somehow or other they were affiliated with HSBC but I tried to call them and they weren't helpful.2) Is there any legal process, in the situation where a lien holder cannot be contacted or located, where you can give ample and public notice for lien holder to come forward and claim possession, otherwise lien will be forgiven?

FIRPTA is for non-resident aliens.

We've encountered non responsive leasing agents before.

Basically in the process of helping out a local college regarding their future expansion I was told some now public information regarding multiple homes the college needs to give away or demolish.

The properties I am targeting are non-owner occupied properties.

I like using credit score, job stability and distance/type of commute(LA newbies think 14 miles is an easy commute, when in reality that could be 1.5 hours) public records check for evictions and criminal records and my personal interview with them.

What suggestions do you have for sources of wholesale or alternative (non-MLS) properties? 

From my understanding you have to get it from the owner or estimate it based on time and public record

I liked having spent hours research markets and neighborhood and government programs, so that I felt more educated to have a conversation with my realtor, rather than him just tell me his opinion. 

Especially in hotter markets like Sacramento.Back during the crash, banks were dying to get this inventory off their books and recoup what they could, and so you could buy them for pennies on the dollar.But eventually banks got hip to the idea that the public started to think REO's were automatically a good deal, and combined with a booming housing market they're selling at full market value now.