Ultimately I'll make my own decision on how to proceed, I'd just really like to hear from some of you seasoned folks what YOU would do if you were just starting out again?

With the National Flood Insurance Program set to expire tomorrow, the coastal areas are going to have re-sale issues if this bill is not extended. 

I maybe could see a part timer doing it, that person who has a full time W2 job, and is an MLO on the side, and is an insurance agent, and is 3 other things -- that guy might.As someone doing this for a living, however...

Find property first then decide how to proceed. 

I already have some competitive options for 20% down and 15% down with mortgage insurance. 

@Brunno Goncalves I would say I am sorry to hear about your damage and that you hope they are able to find the responsible person for this damage but unfortunately since you were not there you have no way of knowing who may have caused this.If you really feel generous or bad about this damage you could say that "If you can't find the guilty party you would be willing to chip in on the cost of their deductible" That way they claim it on their insurance instead of trying to sue you.

Asset protection is insurance against litigation and is mostly about making the target smaller (hard to find, because is not impossible) and unattractive (hard to collect).Not a lawyer, nor CPA, so due diligence required. 

How would I proceed to find the next of kin?

I appreciate the time and feedback as we have the property under contract (about 1.5 weeks now) and we're trying to make the final call on whether or not to proceed. 1.

With that information you can then make decisions on how to proceed.