I'm just beginning research into this market so if anyone has any insight into this area and what to know investing out of the country, I would appreciate it!  

In fact, our property management company required the certification before they would be able to market the properties. 

What’s going on in in the PHX market?

In the current market we are doing majority with no prepayment penalties since there may be an opportunity to refinance if/when rates comes down.  

The point is, in these types of markets, original or slightly enhanced kitchens are adequate.

My focus, as I begin my journey in real estate investing is building a solid foundation through education and thorough market research.

How can i delay or stop this auction, so that I can get the property marketed for a higher price?

I'm interested in investing in a short term rental the Somoma County market.

I guess it depends on your market. 

And, even if you could find an appraiser to do an evaluation, it's not clear how that would help you.As you state, the motel has been shut down for nearly three years, so there's no current financial data.But even if you had recent numbers, you're planning to operate it as a sober living facility, which I suspect is a very different business model.You need to find a comparable facility in or near your local market and develop your own customized financial analysis model based upon this particular property.Then, given your business objectives (cash flow and cash-on-cash return, I assume), you'll need to back into what purchase terms you'll need to achieve those objectives.Only then will you be able to determine whether these seller financing terms will work.As far as documentation to get started, a letter of intent (LOI) is commonly used but you might move straight to a purchase and sale agreement, particularly if no agent is involved.Whichever path you choose, just be certain to give yourself plenty of time to thoroughly perform your due-diligence.