But if you believe rates will go down, it’s a good time to find deals and refinance later at a lower rate.As for me personally, I’m also reevaluating the market to figure out the best investment strategy.

I do not know them personally so can't really say anything good or bad.

There are debtor rights attorneys out there, but they typically deal in the owner occupied space, if these are in LLC's then there are still attorneys but they are probably not going to get very far in any type of settlement because there are probably personal guarantees in place or the lender will just take the property. 

You will still own that loan and personally guaranty that loan.

There are a handful of meetups in the area, although not sure than any are meeting in person at the moment.

Unless a person has COMPLETE competency in performing a STR-A, they should NOT do it. 

LOL I ran a profitable construction business for 3 years so I have project management experience.I have worked in the insurance industry in the past so I'm considering going that route.I want to really focus in Real Estate so I'm also considering getting my license so that way I can work in the same industry I'll be investing in.I also have over 12 years of customer service and banking experience. 

Since an executor/personal representative has not been appointed by the court and no Trust is in place, there is no one who can sign for the deceased. 

You’ll want to have your numbers in order—this means understanding how much the property could sell for, what repairs might be needed, and what kind of offer makes sense for you.When you do contact the homeowner, be upfront and personable.

It seems you have done what can be done and now it's time to ask the question of where do you want to be in a few years when you recover.If you do a "strategic" bankruptcy (just a fancy way of saying starting over and doing better next time) you can be back in business debt free with bad credit and no creditors hounding you.