My company manages several properties in Boise, we are hands on communicate clearly and consistently with both tenants and owners.

HINT:  More value.That's certainly a valid argument for multifamily where your market is 100 percent investors, but not really the case for single family where 80 percent of your buyers are owner occupied. 

Two weeks ago I served a letter of intent to seller asking him to owner-finance his property to me. 

I also have access to leads such as expired listing, probate, tax default, NOD, Absentee owners, and etc.

I've got no money for marketing, so I'm D4D in my spare time and researching owners online.

Sounds like they are selling on land value for redevelopment and not existing income.If they are making money and the area is improving they can wait for surrounding development demand to increase the dirt value for resale.If the owner is worth a lot of money they are taking the long view to value.

Do I take the issue up during contingency, or is creating these new rules a right I have as the owner, provided that I follow the lease? 

Are short sales less attractive since end of 2014, since now banks can go after deficiency or 1099 the owner?

How do I go about getting a house undercontract for a wholesale deal when one of the owners lives out of state? 

Some owners prefer this method of funding projects.