I've heard of this causing leaks in the roof if not done properly.  

Proper vacation rental insurance coverage can mitigate this, and keep you in business.3.

As a brand new investor, does anyone have advice for me on what books, articles, etc to look into on how to manage my first property properly?

I would imaging that she will need to go through a proper eviction unless the state laws say differently 

Inadvertent ponzi schemes are more common with funds than they are with one-off syndications and they generally occur because the promoter fails to keep their books in order properly.  

Make sure you terminate the lease with proper paperwork.

I stay away from severely structurally damaged homes and sinkhole homes as these seem harder to sell even when they are remediated properly.

Is it an agent I know who closes deals, who has their clients prepared for the process and sets proper expectations, and who makes sure their client uses reputable lenders who can close the deal....or is it some agent Ive never heard of.  

If you have a tenant that deep fries a lot or cooks a lot with grease and doesn't use a proper range hood you can get residue on the walls.

Make sure once you are the winning bidder of an auction that the property owner has been served proper notice so that your time counts.