I had a rather complicated RE play I was doing in 2012 and of course financing was still non existent I sent a basic concept plan they looked at it for about 3 days and came back and said hey we like it just need 10k to move forward..

I would focus on opening the lines of communication rather than making the situation more complicated by trying to introduce another new agent to the mix and try to claim abandonment to exclude the original agent.

As far as I gather, a different spin on an old technique. " We buy ugly houses"... anyone?

Learning how to invest in a house isn't that complicated.

After he met Jimmy Napier, he refined his technique based on Jimmy’s advice.  

OOS just complicates things for most people. 

If he doesn’t file for bankruptcy and holds on for a little while longer while getting the 1st short sale and then is forced into bankruptcy anyway, it is conceivable the trustee will seek a "claw back" on preferential payments complicating both his and his previous lender's life.

I would just really stress the complications associated with transferring title post-close with a conventional mortgage.

You don't need a license to wholesale, and it can make it more complicated if you do have a license. 

I've seen a lot of conflicting advice that cautions to avoid areas with high crime rates due to complications and extra costs from the tenant base and property crime.I understand that both cities have shown crime rate improvements, but their overall rates are still way above average.What makes these cities attractive for investment despite this?