I see that you specifically mention "sale of the property" which would make a reasonable situation.

Reo's and distress situation possibly.

Ben- this type of situation is something we see often.

I realize my situation could be worse, I could be purchasing in Florida ;)  Caveat Emptor especially in Florida :)

@Emerson PalameOnly writing here to stress the importance of @Michael Hacker's advice to check out recently sold retail-market comps before you come to a decision.

Sure I helped a bunch of people in tough situations, but when I think back to all the wasted hours and effort involved in a short sale, it makes my blood boil.I would still list one for a good client, but only if the seller agreed to have a local attorney handle the negotiations and closing.  

We ended up deciding not to, however it was 1002994889% more stressful because I couldn't get any of the information I needed from him to include him. 

Was this a situation where the investor financially backed the project and you ran it, I.e. you scheduled the work, found the contractors, sold the house for him etc?

I'm currently in a similar situation where there's no pictures of the interior but one side of the duplex is rented.

My current situation is outlined below, and I was wondering if it’s possible for any experienced investors to explain to me how to obtain my goal.