I get a fair amount of colleague requests from people, who don't send a message with it?

But i can also promise you with a fair amount of certainty that if someone has been uprooted from their life and forced to rely on social services - they are going to be fairly desperate.

Second, what do should I do before approaching the homeowner to ensure I can legally acquire the property. 

I did do a fair bit of remodeling myself while I lived there.Best purchase we will probably ever make since it was 5k down for 160k duplex (worth 230k now after 10k or so in remodeling and increased rents) and cash flow of $800-900/month now!

We all understand that business is business and your providing a service and you expect to get paid that’s only fair.

Get some help from local, experienced individuals to ensure the numbers make since. 

I suspect there will be one or 2 that we have interest in that may not be redeemed by the end of the auction.Warning: Do what you can to ensure the property is unencumbered (no liens, clean title, etc.).Good luck

To be fair, I've never had a home warranty for either my personal home or any rental properties.But I've know a few people who have had them for their personal homes and they sounded like nightmares.These are the complaints I've heard:I'm sure this can vary by company, but it's typically a $75 service charge every time a repair person comes out. 

Do you know the fair housing and tenant laws?

Other options seem to be working with investors and financing via hard money - but I worry the cost may eat me up if we slip on time/runs longer than anticipated.Any more creative options on how to do this to minimize risk, ensure working with someone that can get it done in a timely manner, and minimize cash I need to put into the deal?