I'm just curious if anyone else has had a similar situation and I want to make sure I follow the correct process.

Your process is right, but you need to get these done ASAP to start making income, or you will dig yourself a hole with un-necessary property taxes, mortgage pmts, any further degradation of the houses, etc.My recommendation would be to do whatever you can to find a GC to wrap them up for you so you can get them rented out.Right now you're sitting on 2 properties that could be a total of $1400/mo income.

I was wondering if some people could give me a few tips on how to start this process.

In the process, I found a homeowner that was fined $60 because of 4th false alarm of burglery.

Statistical information suggests that it is not a matter of if the Kitec will fail but rather when the Kitec will fail."

I did a half-baked screening process because I was trying to help a friend's mother.

Started financing process broker going fha.

I am going through the process now and hope to have my first property by December.

I can't speak to IL law nor am I familiar with eviction processes there.But last month's rent is exactly that. 

So to delay the process of saving for an eternity for the down payment on my first property I decided to apply for a HELOC.