Considering the neighborhood and size of the house - the two most important factors in the ultimate value of the house - and using comps and my knowledge of the local market, I figure out a "drop-dead" offer, a likely offer, and a "fire sale" offer.

The layout, size and low maintenance of this duplex is really what caught my attention.

Depending on the age of the house, if it has been open for that long, anything copper is probably long gone.Depending on the size (temp) and location of the fire, it is possible that some or all of the brick is compromised. 

The most successful I've been is by sending yellow letters in a small "thank you note or wedding invitation" size envelope.

In late December, at 35 years old I came into a very nice sized windfall in the form of company stock options.

The listing agent has the responsibility of showing all the offers to the seller regardless of the size of your offer. 

I tried just surfing for awhile to catch up but honestly our best bet is to just dive in!

your best bet is to just sell a partial.. just a few years of the cash flow you won't take such a dramatic hit.. although myself I would not be keen on a 1 bd home incase I had to own it.. and I would want to know that since you sold it to a homeowner that you did full dodd frank compliance

If you want to invest in Portland, your best bet is through your network, IMHO.  

I'll bet you can replace the lost revenue {much} more cheaply buying another 4-6 unit.What is the zoning for the area (not just your lot)?