I will add that, even w/the surprises and hefty price tag on the work, the upgrades still fit w/in our budget b/c we had a contingency built in to our overall rehab budget.

I see this as a no win scenario for me that I will just have to add to my lessons learned file.

I was just reading an article about how a basketball player earned $100 million dollars only to declare bankruptcy a few years later.

Alas, you may have a great point there as I have decided to cut into my "profits" if it meant a "win-win" situation for all.

But I understand the reality of the game and know I'm not going to win hand after hand.

I see and understand where title is coming from.Too many moving parts and too many players in a double close for me, so I started using hard money and/or my own funds to close and then re-sell.

Then, you do not have to deal with any agents.Make sure to calculate and factor in all the costs on top of the winning bid, including:- Back Due Property Taxes- Rehab Costs- Municipal Liens- Past Due Utility Bills- HOA Liens- Mechanic Liens- Eviction Costs / Cash for Keys- Legal Fees- Court Fees- Transfer Taxes

That being said, if you file a quiet title action and the lender or their successor can't or doesn't answer, maybe you could win by default.

If your goal is to shortcut the study you may try asking the old-timers at your local real estate club who the player banks are.

You have to do more homework on title issues and estimate loan balances which takes more time and I think that turns off investors.That being said, in my market there are some players in the HOA lien market that know what they're doing and/or have cash that they have to deploy.