I'm aware this bucks the trend of investing in OH, FL, etc. but I think (and hope) positive cash-flowing deals can be found with the right connections. 

So if I place the highest bid at an auction and they have said yes, you have won, then do I directly go to pay for this deal in all cash?

The first floor tenant was very difficult to remove but we finally managed to get them out with a cash-for-keys agreement.

So I put years of work into renovating a couple run down buildings to provide apartments for people, did all the work myself and then was laid off my job.Since then I've been pursuing this dream of being self employed before its all over.

We use Streamline which is a legacy provider but it is cumbersome and designed for larger scale PM operations (trust accounting, owner portals, etc etc).Just a few integrations we use: Lynx (locks), BookingPal (channel manager), EZCare (HK/Maint Ops), RevMax (Pricing) - There are more, thats off the top of my head. 

Any other insight that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

They stated due to regulatory changes in IL, they can no longer provide those reports for rental applications.Does this mean I no longer can do a background check in IL or is there a work around with possibly another service I can use?

I would do the following, at a minimum:-request that he complete your rental application (hopefully you have a thorough application),-request identification documents (government-issued),-require that he provide you with proof of his visa status and the authorized length of stay,-verify his employment, income, and financial stability, and-contact his previous landlords for references.If he cannot satisfy these application requirements, do not approve.

However, we could buy cash and it would technically be easiest to BRRR. 

These are typically utilities provided by the municipality.