One guy not paying means nobody pays.also seems:Selling a house is an exception, so seller could have used that to evict instead of continuing his non payment.Owner move in also seems an exception, so I should be entitled to take one unit.

I do a lot of buy and hold here in Bakersfield, due to population in neighboring cities I don't recommend you purchasing in Taft.at a $170,000 you can purchase something similar here in Bakersfield but will ultimately be cheaper maintenance, management, etc since most of the kern population is situated in Bakersfield meaning handy mans and other repair services wont bump up there prices due to travel. also being in Bakersfield you may use a local property management company that may perform an exceptional service due to the distance of the property rather than having to travel.I hope this information helps

Nothing looks like real hardwood except, well, real hardwood.....

The state of Florida requires a General Contractor's License to do most work, except small things like paint and floors.

I have no way of initially contacting or connecting with the owners except for mail as all the properties are in a different state then I am.

I was going to carpet the entire floor except the obvious kitchen/Bath.

Exceptionally clean and smelled nice. 

In some states there is no such thing as an "as-is" sale aka no sellers disclosure requirement except under limited circumstances.

As for the second part of your question, I generally call every lender willing to lend in my market, with the exception of the Chases and Citibanks.

No exceptions.