I bet folks pee away $50k a YEAR in lost business by being FLAKES & not returning their messages in a timely fashion in this business!

At the very best chance of an "outsider" getting involved in this busienss would be to work for a developer.

I might be wrong here (I'm also a Realtor so I get the exception already) but if you are actively involved in the management of your properties, defined by some level of effort maybe 500 hours a year, then you too are exempt from the passive losses limit--essentially because they are not passive, they are from something in which you are actively engaged.If you do your own property management, fix-it stuff, and finances, you are probably exempt from the $25,000 / yr limit.

We just became aware of this development and met with the agents involved onsite yesterday.

Typically a good marketing campaign would involve 3 to 6 letters or post cards.

Since the year on the original post was 2005, I'm betting this tenant has already been evicted, or this landlord is no longer landlording...

Not a bad income stream either, I bet.

Court house auctions involve too many unknowns since you cannot inspect prior to sale.

Buzz - are involved at all in real estate?

Commonly insured by FHA, it involves no monthly payment and the deferred interest accrues to the balance.