I tried trespassing, code violations, and eviction but no court would touch it because they were all illegals. 

Certain zip codes better than other.

If you are looking at stone mountain a good zip code is 30087. 

key=OVoxNVhwZnZRRlNyM1JJNFhIRThEWFJsMjI1eHVBI made some notes from the walk through:Curb appeal: House- yard work, shutters, repair driveway cracks, small porch for side entrance, some brick sealing / cleaning up wiring, new gutters, new flashing, 2 window (dual pain) replacement, door refinish, some trim replacement, some roof repair.Garages & Shed - Check code for add on shed (add on is nicer), foundation sunk and cracked in 2 spots, check electrical, new garage doors, new shingles on garage, some roof wood repair, Demo Shed and have firepit/patio on slab.Inside Home:Overall- Electrical (multiple types of outlets, grounded/not grounded), Plumbing (Galvanized rusting in most of house), Possible mold remediation, Roof (Seems ok, maybe new by some windows and seal some areas), How is furnace and where was air conditioning. 

If you decide to do this, I would network with wholesalers, become familiar with a pocket of the market you want to invest in (5 or 6 zip codes), and pull the trigger when the deal makes sense. 

@Michael Egan as a person who does off-market deals on a nearly daily basis now, I'd love to help clarify a point I never found anyone share back when I tried "crack the code". 

Are there any issues with bringing systems up to current code?

If new prospects want to look at a space she simply give them a guest code over the phone.

This also means that the bathroom isn't "officially" up to code even though the work may have been done right. 

The one important thing to consider will be the building code and permit requirements, which may require a professionally accredited architect or engineer.