Even more so for newer investors for several reasons.I will warn you though that with vacant houses in particular, I would not rely on just mail to contact the owners.  

For those of you who make not know, Texas has had an extreme heat warning from about the past month with heat reaching 100-111 degrees.

Any listing you have up this blog will be sent to any prospective tenant warning them of you that you are a lunatic.

Yapping on some Fed adjustment does NOT reduce the cost of construction 30%, it does not make 40k homes grow out of the ground of make those turning 21 evaporate or no longer need a shelter. the risk of inflation of known and talked about early last year when the Fed engaged in fastest and biggest QE in US history. pretty much all non Fed economic research released last year warned of the risk of inflation.

If that lender declined funding the deal they took it as a warning that maybe they did not run the numbers right, were too risky, etc.

Does anyone have experience, counsel, or warnings that could help as I investigate my options?

In CA, AP may be completed by either Color of Title (a Deed which, under its face appears to convey legal title) or Claim of Right, which is the brazen occupation of real property better known to squatters.A word of warning: I've watched many people, most amateurs, attempt to use AP as a way to gain benefits leading to legal title.

@Gary Arora I don't have any idea or experience with "Poinciana, Apopka, Sanford for SFHard $ 100 k".    

But I warn them that it's rare for a property to sit on the market that long.I also have them sign a simple Holding Agreement that says we will hold the property until their move-in date.

I warned them few months ago I will have to split the water meter into three units but at the moment i have to come up with pluming money and wont be fair to split the bill in three .