Another odd fact here is that 2 different attorney firms are handling the sale(s).  

I bet you the answer will come out- Refinance.

Again as with any risk you'll want to mitigate it by spreading your bets on different jockeys in the race.

If I'm syndicating a deal you can bet that I'm being compensated for my time, efforts and expertise.

Actially, I have some packing, moving and various odd jobs I need done at my house, but when I looked up Amherst, you are a little more than an hour away, so I am probably too far away to make it worthwhile.

A better way to discuss the criteria you're looking for in the SFR world is to say you're looking for "1% 'Rule'" properties in a certain area, or to tell people you're looking for a particular "Price-to-Rent" Ratio (which, oddly, is calculated using the annual rent, versus the 1% or 2% "Rule" which looks at monthly rent.)I'm with David on this one: talking cap rates with SFRs is going to make people question your experience.

Some good tips on the matter https://www.thebalance.com/winning-reo-foreclosure...I've read to increase your odds, pay cash, promise a quick closing, and no inspection/appraisal.  

Every rental I rented I had to pay utilities, other than the odd community that they paid for my cable or snow removal.  

Once an offer beats the odds and is under contract, if it's somehow even worse than you estimated and the numbers don't work, you can always pull out because you've worked that escape clause into your contract.

Go find 100 more like this "up" you odds of getting your first deal.