Abandoned means the owner has no intention of ever coming  back, ever doing anything with the property, ever letting a relative fix it up and live in it sometime in the future.

I have no intentions on leaving SF.

However, some buyers might want tenant occupied properties if they intent to rent it out. 

Thanks @Russell Brazil.But to clarify my question, I am asking if investors are permitted to negotiate short sales on a seller's behalf with the intent of purchasing the property once a short sale is approved?

Covers everything of mine, both personal and business activities except for the obvious things like intentional acts.Would your strategy still work if you started branching out into other states? 

I hear about it all the time "NJ property Taxes are so high," then the next breath people will say "So much competition in NJ."

@Olga MarquezIf they are flipping properties then that's a little more intentional than just a retiring landlord that's trying to offload a property here and there.

Purchase price: $200,000 Cash invested: $10,000 We bought our first home in 2011 with the intent to rent.

I am considering buying this property with the intention of pulling the permits and convert it into a legal duplex so that I can refi later.

You never had any intention of closing at the contract price, in any instance.