you are going to have to get access to the property and have some one help you estimate the repairs. 

The "personal gain" for your Realtor in introducing you to a preferred lending partner is likely to be limited to transaction comfort and accessibility  as well as referrals to other buyers/sellers. 

I would get it under an option contract subject to you having access and doing more due diligence.

I'm sure other people will name other apps/programs that work perfectly fine, but I use truerent.com It's simple, allows record keeping, file uploads, and user access for property owners and tenants.

I am targeting high end short sales and I need access to the mls for a refferal fee, any suggestions?

Working with real estate agents allows you to have access to homes that are on MLS.

There are also several government incentivized programs for note investors that other investors do not have access to.

The only advantage I see with a Solo 401k plan is that loans can accessed vs. the SEP IRA where they are not allowed.

As I'm sure you know inventory is low and prices are high within the Seattle area, the greatest value proposition my company brings to the table is we get access to a fair amount of Pre-Markets properties weekly.

A short sale should not take more than 60 days and can be don in as little as 30 days, all you have to do is constantly follow up call the bank 3 times a week. but if you are not handling it your self as an agent  then you are at the whim of some one else who is handling it.