This is really happening." moment.I'm a professional interior designer; I spend my days creating floor plans, material palettes, and custom fixtures for retail prototype stores.

When the owner makes a capital improvement, they submit the paid invoice, copy of both sides of the check used for payment, and a lien release (if required) to the lender and they reimburse the owner / borrower for the capital expenditure.When the property is sold, the lender liquidates the unused balance in the reserve account to the seller / borrower.  

In a 750K home we had a $8,000 tub faucet, you won't get that at a box store!

Sometimes, when I drop my wife off at the grocery store or nearby mall while she shops (and she loves shopping - slowly), I'll do my physical analysis of the property, subdivision, and neighborhood. 

Store it on a handheld GPS.

The guy that owns the gas station, the C-store, the hardware store, a contractor, it's an opportunity for them.The locals probably knew it was for sale, they probably saw the price being too high or they had issues trying to buy.

You can buy them at most hardware stores or on line.

all interesting stories. i bought a house in 2004. bought it from the local tax authority for, seriously, pennies on the ARV. literally $1700 on a house that after rehab, was worth $30k. the previous owner was an old lady. she moved in with her adult son and used this house for her garage sale habit of buying everything she could and storing it. she used this house like it was a personal storage facility. when it went for back taxes, and i bought it, it literally took me 3 months just to clean the place out. when she died, you think her kid would have took the place and made something of it, but he didn't. he continued to live in a rented apartment when he could have rehabbed this place and lived for free. it amazes me how many people will " shoot themselves in the foot" in this life.

If you are hunting for leads and find yourself at the lead store (aka probate court), then what info were you expecting to collect in the first place?

He has stored a large piece of work out equipment in the common area next to the washer and dryer.