As others have mentioned, it shows properties that are no longer available and here in my area in particular, any time a home goes straight from Active to Pending it just removes it from Zillow completely and does not show a pending sale. 

The one I am drafting is a straight up look at multiple offerings demonstrating multiple ROI for different strategy's  Hold for rental or Flip on a sale.

I’ll have the rent Friday and will deposit straight into your account Friday morning."

I also don't know what metrics you are looking at when you are purchasing a deal, but I look at straight cash flow - properties need to be able to cash flow a minimum of $100 per door for me to consider the property. 

If the contractor is in such dire financial straights to be playing Ponzi games, no matter how 'great' they were in the past, you don't want to be the guy holding the bag.

I'm getting a feeling like they want me to contact them only once I buy and fix these properties and have all my numbers straight. 

Has anyone done this versus a straight mortgage, and what are the pros/cons?

Don't go straight to the good and keep your money in the bank earning (losing after inflation) .2% on your investment.The Good. 

You can do the math straight. 

I am going to go look at it tomorrow I'm not sure if I should try to buy it myself with hard money which would be very expensive .whole sell it which I've never done and (really not a fan of whole sellers because all the ones I've meet are straight out of a seminar trying to show me "deals" that are no better than what' on the mls and often times on the mls ) sorry for the rant ...