This will open the door for you to negotiate with the seller in a more direct sense but the agent still have the duty to disclose.

Just want to know what's more effective as far as using direct mail, or handwritten letters.

I got some great recommendations from this forum when I purchased my Memphis property, so I'm hoping to receive some solid referrals for reliable, thorough home inspectors.

Figure out what you have into the property for total cost and than run a highest and best use analysis.This should tell you whether to rehab what is there or tear it down and build something new with the same asset class or a totally different asset class ( commercial, etc.).Additionally once you find out the highest and best use then look at the TIME required to develop that use and receive income from it or sell off.Some people will get the fire department to do a "controlled burn" on the property and use it as a fire exercise.

I spoke to them today and was told their REO department was shut down and they don't know who to direct me to regarding their REO's on res.net.  

Fortunately, for me I received a LOC, that afforded me to make a few mistakes.

The one additional thing to consider it that older tenants can be on fixed income and may not receive this news well.  

I have found crowdfunding to be a far more effective (and passive) alternative to direct RE investing for me in the US, and am migrating my US holdings in that direction. 

We eventually fixed it on the Holiday (Monday) as the tenant on the second floor is finally home.  2) Other tenants in the building have been telling me, and this morning I received a call complaining about tenant from 1) above due to loud noise generated by karaoke singing all the time in the weekday.

Can I put a clause in that I would make payments directly to the bank?