Turnaround is slower for you,  GC may not be available in quick fashion,  you may need to compromise and get less experienced /sloppy GC,  you don't have them to evaluate true rehab estimates before deal closes,  etc..

He wanted to buy it for less than I wanted to sell it.... so we worked out a compromise of me not doing any landscaping, not fixing the sprinkler, and not doing any repairs if any were found by an inspector.  

@Nancy LarcomHave you or the someone in your neighborhood looked into negotiating an offer in compromise with the city to essentially lower the debt owed and make it more appealing to a buyer?

I will not compromise my main goal for a "shiny object of distraction."

well, I tend to agree on sellers and major repairs, but remember the sellers  often do required repairs in an inspection in my experience, and, yes, your interests diverge (they are leaving) but the owner will not be on the roof, the roofing contractor will, so if you can agree on the highest quality firms in your area, they probably won't do substandard work or compromise their reputation on one roof job. 

We've talked a few times and he's refusing to compromise and has started invoicing me for late fees.  

Knowing when to compromise. 

If you have to buy within a certain time frame you might have to move out of the area a little or compromise some on the purchase price.Expecting a broker or agent to shot gun low offers all over creation just isn't realistic.

There were other deals I had on radar that actually had good numbers, perhaps better, but I did not want to move into them, so the exit strategy was compromised, and I'm not a pro, so I need the back up plan to allow for mistakes and oversights.       

This area that are heavily compromised due to the same issue.If you plan on selling this place within a few years, you will have to disclose all of the repairs, etc. that will chase some buyers away.Hopfully, that helps.