I've been on at least a half dozen posts on BP where people try to explain-away the fact that they broke the law. 

I have explained my thinking and again thought the cash on cash was good at 17% or maybe even a little bit more if I raise the rent to all by $50 each.Am I looking at something incorrectly?

Quote from @Mordechai Chaimovitz: Can someone please explain to me why people are buying 2 flats that rent comps show $4,600 a month in income for 665k+?

In some syndications, returns may be higher than 15%, but it can be more risky in that there are usually many people involved and if the operator doesn't perform as originally explained then the process of getting your money back can be a little more tricky.

If they don't have time to get on the phone and speak with you to explain how they work, then they will be even more difficult to get ahold of once they already have your business.

We tried to explain this to VRBO call center reps, but they can't offer anything other than telling us to lower prices to pre-Jan 6 rates. 

If anything explain that there is a fee on top of a lifetime charge (which on its own is kind of weird), but okay. 

If they have an legally binding agreement, you need to honor that agreement and pay the fee.If you failed to mention to the agent that they are going to get paid, and then explained how, of course they won't present the offer.

When the house eventually sold, I contacted the buyers agent and explained it to him so he could be the hero with his clients and show them how they could save a bundle on their property taxes by appealing and getting that corrected!

Make sure it explicitly explains the process for termination if you are unhappy with their services, especially if they violate the terms of your agreement.3.