We are going to spend about 20K to bring it up to par but defiantly worth it.

It might sound fancy, but it's worth considering.

Also, if the sponsor is new, I am fine with less skin in the game as long as it is significant to their net worth.

Is the extra headache really worth it? 

There are also deals that can be find on jud.ct.gov for foreclosure auctions but those rarely work out because the people usually owe more than the property is worth or they get cancelled and postponed frequently. 

We decided the cost was too high and it was not worth it from a financial or risk perspective.  

This property is now worth $300000 more than the purchase price.

If this is about a fence a foot over the property line, I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze..

Even 3x higher is worth the benefit.  

You've got a book's worth already :-) I admire your perseverance!