That puts me at a negative cash flow and would require a much more aggressive approach to adding the value which I'm not sure I'm up for. 

Iḿ nice and fair by nature but like someone said earlier, I take the middle of the road approach.

The better approach is to specifically market to those people who would be good candidates for seller financing, and then make a deal from there.

What are key approaches I need to have when doing this? 

I had purchased a building in 2009 in the Old West End and I was standing outside when a man approached me saying he owned a 45 unit apartment building with a 30 car parking garage across the street that he wanted to sell to me.

If they had a verbal agreement with the last tenant,   and the last tenant gave notice or has officially abandoned per definition thereof  (you can look for things like them having cancelled their utility accounts, emptied unit of their belongings, etc)  then they can't prove anything and maybe you can use that approach.   

I'm noob and just building my own goals so helpful to see other approaches.

Countless properties go under contract and never close for a myriad of reasons.

Sounds like you are approaching "Hurt City".

I completely agree with the business hours approach to repairs.