A fully paid off building would be very attractive to a lawyer whereas a property with a heavy mortgage would not be attractive.Your ideas, suggestions?

The ones that do poorly fail to attract enough money to stay open, or are closed when failure is acknowledged.  

Assuming you don't have any problems with them (because they are new, but they always do) and you don't have any vacancies (you always do) and your ability to get the asking rent (you probably would not), you are making about $70/month.Now, let's be realistic: 12%(one month) for vacancies, 10% for repairs and $50 less rent per month to attract renters fast (this builder probably sold a lot of homes to other investors) you are having the following expenses: $1,871.00 =  $186(12% of 1550) + $155 (10%) + $1,530.

Persistence is essential to attracting money.

If you don't have the banks or the city breathing down your neck then you can use your discretion.

I need to attract motivated sellers.

If you know the bank you can try a call to the asset manager, don't hold your breath, they will be listing it.Banks are required to list REOs, one of the reasons is to cut out the chance of someone in the bank cutting a brother-in-law deal and selling below market cheating the borrower from any equity that may be due from proceeds of a sale.

He has a radio show in Birmingham, Al and eats, breaths , lives horticulture.I have recommended him to others nationwide with good results.

The purpose to attract quality tenants.

This all means that both my pipeline short sale deals could blow up as my exit strategy was to double close with a rehab investor.I'm thinking either do the flip myself (not what I intended but the profit potential is very attractive to me) or some how JV with one of the cash buyers on the deals?