Or from a website like prosper or lending cloud?

(out of control lawn, broken awning, looks like nobody has been home).So I decided to go to look up the property and see who owns the house and if the taxes have been paid.

Just like China.. anyone can do any real estate there.But as we know there Is a Robust real estate industry here that is licensed controlled etc.. with heavy emphasis on ethics'' and of course you have unethical realtors... you see that in the monthly bulletins with all the realtors getting reprimanded or losing their license.To me if you want to wholesale BUY THE HOME close on it then resell it.. its that simple.. trying to act like your not a REal estate broker and hide behind the quasi arguments that are touted on this site.. to me is just circumventing the industry and the law.there are brokers who specialize in cheap defunct properties as there is a lot of that inventory in all the hoods of America.

Dishwasher stopped working, he says, but when I get there I realize he somehow managed to rip the front pull handle and control board off the machine and broke the plastic. 

To quality control that and make sure your signs don't end up in a dumpster, give them clear instructions to take a picture on their phone of each sign they place.

Factor in income tax and with I little self control I think I can reach my one year goal. ;)

I used to feel bad about him working so hard but now I've just accepted that he's certainly willing to stay and pay the late fee.One of the issues with working with someone who has spent a lot of time in prison (and I have seen this with my partners own brother who has been in prison 3 times) is that there are folks who do extremely well in a controlled environment (prison, the military) when someone else is telling them what to do but do absolutely lousy on their own.   

Keep communications open but stay in control by being reasonable yet firm.  

You need to ask a local attorney however as laws on property ownership are controlled by state law so they can vary a lot. 

Now, let's see if we can figure out your next steps.You could just sell them off for a little profit as others have suggested.Another option to consider might be finding private lenders who could help you bring these to closing (sale).Start by listening to family, friends, neighbors and others and listen when they complain about their 401(k), IRA, etc. and not getting the returns they would like or that their accounts are at risk on Wall Street.At the same time, learn about self-directed retirement accounts so you can teach those other people how put their money in a position where they can have greater control and get greater returns with less volatility.Then, learn how to introduce people you know to self-direction.