But, there is no law restricting the sale of forms, it's the drafting of the forms that becomes an issue.Anyone can write a contract IF they are a party to that contract, one of my biggest gripes is that people seem to think they know enough about contract law and real estate that they are qualified, they don't have a clue, a hard pill to swallow, but they really don't in addressing all that needs to be addressed.

It's easier for the Tenant to swallow and it  can put a lot more money in their pocket. 

Since the seller knew up front what I was trying to do, wouldn't it make it a lot harder for him to swallow if I backed out?

It's like salmon, swallows and penguins.

Don't say 5 years it sounds to long use months, like 36, 48, 60 months sometimes it is easier for the seller to swallow.

Still I would say a 50/50 split is pretty hard to swallow unless it is a fantastic deal and you have a proven track record.

Unfortunately I do think settlement and having to swallow some of the cost is going to be best case scenario.

@Brian Armstrong There is no secret juice or pill you can swallow, no one can predict an outcome, you just have to keep sending mail and dont stop.

This not only increased cash flow but made the payment easier to swallow when that house was empty. 

Most will swallow hard and wrap up the deal.