More power to you if you can get someone to take it off your hands as a primary residence, but I doubt an investor is going to touch it.Where did your $124,000 valuation come from?

Again, that factors 0 for maintenance.I'm inclined to think that I should offer like $260k but I doubt they accept that.

If you have any doubt, stagger your release of fund to seller in following stages:>Money for signing (after 5 day ROR has expired)>Money for possession>Money for insured, marketable title 

Although every area has its own method, I highly doubt the apprasial or upgrades will have much to do with it. 

REIAs are a good place to start but I doubt you will find everyone there.

Buy and hold is the true wealth-building strategy, buy few beginners have the resources or skill set to do it.Add all this to the never-ending barrage of information coming from everywhere, and it becomes easy to get paralyzed with doubt and fear.  

I didn't want them to doubt my knowledge or not take me seriously.

I seriously doubt anyone  will give you a firm price , there are way too many variables , that would be a time and material job ,  you could spend more to rehab the pool than to get a brand new one .

I don't think it would work for really heavy stuff like a ton of cement but for most stuff it worked well.  

Problem you have is that even if you track it down, remind them they own it, convince someone that's the case even though their computer screed tells them something different (doubtful anyone will figure that out, even if you show it to them), then they realize they actually do own it and need to sell it, their policy is gonna be to put it back in the system and they'll almost surely still have to list the house with a realtor in order to sell it to you.Its frustrating as hell trying to deal with those guys, but if you can get with someone high enough up you can occasionally get things done.