But in the vast majority of cases, the previous sale price is completely irrelevant.

So that said personally I'd likely stand firm on the fact that the property was rented as is and while 28"X28" may not be todays 'code' it by your own admission is sufficient for him to egress if needed.

Lastly, you need to ensure that you, your real estate agent, if applicable, and your loan officer that is assisting you do the perform the FHA Self-Sufficiency Test for that 3-4 unit properties to ensure that it passes that. 

I've heard every excuse in the book and the vast majority of them were complete lies.

The vast majority of lawsuits against Landlords are for wrongful eviction, security deposit disputes, and Fair Housing Violations.

They got rid of them in most counties by vastly undervaluing the properties and just increasing the tax rate. 

If you can find the noteholder, your way is best.Unfortunately the vast majority of mortgages are packaged in large portfolios and sold to wall street as mortgage-backed securities.  

Since i won't know where the relocation will be until mid march and will have to move in June (apartment lease ends june 31st) - do you think this will be sufficient time to find a property?

Welcome, considering the vast topic of RE investing, I still consider myself a novice.  

My unit, as I believe the vast majority of units was never empty for long...it never sat empty for more than a month or two.Real estate taxes very greatly, so you will need to assess this on a case by case basis.