These properties would produce good value if purchased and flipped and I was wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences purchasing such properties when you can’t easily contact the current landlord?

If you're really lucky they are part of the listing package...so hopefully you get what you want before you make an offer.Sometimes you may have to sign a non-disclosure agreement to get them.Sometimes you may have to ask for what you want.Unfortunately in many instances they don't exist, the listing agent doesn't collect them, the owner hasn't kept or produced them, or just doesn't want to share them. 

I can tell you that the only other bank product I know is going through the commercial department, and they don't let you live in the house.

Of course we want you to join our brokerage when you finish and become a productive agent when you finish the course.

In the end, you are using lazy money to invest in real estate, making two returns on one dollar, getting tax benefits so you are likely not paying tax on your distributions or gains and investing in real assets that produce cash flow. 

I have found that different banks count rental income differently - but for each property, the rental income will be added to the income side of your DTI and the mortgage will be added to the debt side.There are other types of non-conventional loan products you may be able to refinance into, which may be more specific to your market and local lenders, as other posters have suggested.  

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in investing in small multi family properties that are producing great monthly cashflow out of state.

My wife though is a high producing broker who closed 28 million last year but she has no time for BP LOL.. anyway carry on.. but dont put me in the Broker box. 

There are some pretty nice discounts on many products and services offered as Perks to BP members that you might want to check out: https://www.biggerpockets.com/perks/proI really like the alerts feature that can quickly guide you to current topics that may be of interest: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alerts

My additional thoughts:-If you rent out one unit, what does the house produce?