As @Basit Siddiqi mentioned above, MHPs are a unique asset class and have some intrinsic qualities that make them more tax efficient than most real estate, but you will only have access to that tax efficiency if you have a CPA that understands them. 

Your free time does not mean really mean anything unless you have some unique way of helping them. 

Would it be safe to assume that it is less likely for his estate to repay the debt to claim the property? 

Thanks for sharing @Chris Seveney While finding a workout and repayment plan is always preferred over foreclosure it is an interesting situation for forbearance and then potentially eviction being mandated/delayed by the government without any solutions for the underlying cause. 

I don't have a deal in mind (no pretty numbers from the calculators), and would need the money upfront before I could even be pre-approved to buy, so basically they wouldn't have any part in the real estate, their loan repayal would be based on me continuing to have a job.

Me and my team have helped investors buy properties in all of those markets but each investor is unique and each of those towns could work for you or be horrible for you it just depends on what your looking to get out of the,. 

Due to its uniqueness, I have had hard time pulling comps, making it more challenging to determine if hard money is an option (lender typically only covers 75% ARV) so do I need to convince them what the ARV is or would they have an appraiser determine ARV

@Justin Thorpe I’ll also chime in agreement: what makes the Bay Area unique is the scarcity of land, which does not exist in TX and other high growth markets.

It sounds like this "loophole" might be closed through PAL, but I'm hoping someone can clarify if that's the case or if there are any other unique ideas.

Each of these has their own unique benefits to offer, let me know if you have any additional questions!