It is not uncommon by the way for investors to walk away. 5 years ago is the 2007 vintage when most markets were at the peak.The investor has a high interest investor loan and a high sales price.Probably was just breaking even hoping for the market to turn.Now that the tenant left a bunch of damage the investor is jumping ship and not pouring anymore money into a bad investment.At the owners age enjoying the last years of their quality of life is more important than an overvalued debt to a bank.

If you are using your friend who is a divorce attorney or mostly handles criminal defense then the transaction may be bogged down because they approach matters in a much different way than an attorney who is handling business and real estate matters as their primary business.

I notice the rents don't seem to be affected the same way sales prices are in this regard, so I target certain tracts that seem to be $10-15k lower than an equivalent home nearby.I don't worry about CAP rates or other measures.

Or is there a reason for only including a number, such as the personal aspect that more likely leads to a deal than an email would?

A few of them are trying to lease them out, but this is nothing more than an experiment.

Yes, they take a little longer to close than an ordinary sale, and yes, they can be a hassle.

Another solution is to drop it all together, but it is a good property, so I don't want to do that without exhausting all my options.

It seems unfair but they are trying to encourage home ownership rather than an investor buying the property. 

I want to create a business - I seek to be more of an entrepreneur than an investor. 

If you're builder you probably have a lower cost structure than an investor hiring a contractor.