Tax deeds convey title to the purchaser free of all prior encumbrances (mortgage liens, judgment creditors, etc.) of any kind ​except liens specified by Revenue and Taxation Code Section 3712, Lis Pendens actions and any Federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) liens that are not discharged by the sale”.

International students make great tenants and typically stay 1-4 years. 

Reach out to them and let them know you want to be an intern for a summer.

They can figure out their own internal financial arrangements for themselves. 

That said, it sounds like the OP and their team have already been trying for months with many hours on the phone trying to resolve the issue the old fashioned way, and they aren't getting anywhere.

By "partial" I mean renovating the kitchen and bathroom, painting the place, re-tiling the floor and maybe adding some smaller features that can make a difference to prospective buyers, such as new A/C units, new internal doors, or maybe even sell the place furnished (home staging is not really an option here); with no or minimal demolition, and hopefully without electricity or plumbing issues.

It is to create an easier path for a consumer that has been screwed over in some fashion.

Yet inevitably, internally, you think everyone around you is doing it the right way and you are just fumbling along.

I'm leaning towards Philadelphia because I personally find the area more interesting, and it seems like a more international city. 

Before you get too depressed at the amount you're making from those properties you need to run an IRR analysis (internal rate of return).