Let start of with a bit of background....I'm a local metro Denver Realtor who has been licensed for less than a year and been with my brokerage (Dwell Denver Real Estate) since April/May 2014.

If you can purchase locally and still hit your investment goals, I would do that.

“She said she got fed up and went to her family’s home on 160th Street—with the local TV outlet in tow—on Feb. 29 and called a locksmith to change the locks for her.”Understandable, but not a wise course of action.

If i was in your shoes I would do some secret shopping on a couple l new local condo projects. 

For example, if I bought this type of property and knew that my rents were below average for the local market, then my first phased approach would be to get aggressively try and get those rents up to where they need to be. 

Do they need to be local to your area?

If not, ask a local real estate agent.

Check your local rules for what to do with her property. 

I don't know how it works, but you can ask in your local host group.Not in a local host group?

If not, ask a local real estate agent.