It’s essential to do thorough due diligence and be ready for potential renovation costs.Starting in California makes sense since you’re local, making it easier to manage your first property.

@Cali Skier as @Greg Scott mentioned, there doesn't appear to be a lease violation.You could try to be more aggressive about an early termination.Otherwise, just be aggressive on future nonpayment issues.

It also appears that you are making quite a few assumptions as to how I operate my business. 

I am willing to go so far as to say they intentionally are seeking investment sources who don't have the means or sophistication to conduct appropriate diligence.Sadly social media has made it far easier for these bad actor capital raisers to get in front of their target audience with ease.

Dont think having my insurance fix it is fairYes it is fair as long as the trees appear healthy.

Appears best way for me to reduce my commission costs is to reduce my Roth balance by 10% each year.  

We text through our software which is much easier to track than phones.

Failing that, your next option is to lean on your existing lease which appears to have two sections that disagree.

That’s easier for a buyer to get into the deal, but for the seller it translates into them getting $38,400 for that same land instead of only $25k.The seller could also do a land contract, with essentially the same type of terms as with the owner-financed deal, the difference really being that instead of the seller having just a mortgage lien on the property till it’s paid off, they actually retain full ownership of the land until the contract is paid in full.I would have the seller tell you what they wanna get for it, then tell them you’ll add your fee to it and find a way to make it happen… and then come back a day or two later and tell them that you found a way for them to get their price, for you to get your fee, and for it to still be appealing to potential buyers… Then walk them through the deal, how it’ll work, explain to them how your way is more beneficial for them overall, explain how your way opens up the floodgates of potential buyers now, and most importantly explain to them that doing things deals this way is very common when buying and selling land, and how its really the only way for them to get what they want outta that land 👌If you act like an expert on the subject (or at least more knowledgeable than they are) I promise they’ll most likely just follow your lead because they trust you to get it done.And if they are truly motivated to sell, then they’ll welcome with open arms any creative thinking that will help them get what they want.Good luck!

It will also make year end accounting and reconciliation so much easier and showing your assets vs liabilities for future lenders - whether traditional or hard money.