I am well aware of who you are as anyone that is even remotely involved with BP should be.The information you provide here alone is worth more than the price of admission. 

Either you will buy it, or you will assign it.The reality, by your own admission, is that either you will find someone to assign it to, or you will walk, because you do not in fact have the ability to purchase it yourself to use as a rental.The fact that you said this to him, and that he knows his stuff, is why you were asked for POF.  

Just throwing this out there as an owner of a 98-year old house, and with the admission that I am NOT a landlord or familiar with tenant laws there....Are the plumbing & electricity up to code?

Assuming they didn't, and you waited it out, I'd expect a apology/explanation/admission of guilt/....something from them.

I love in a small Midwest town so the margins are super small, but he’s still earn a higher return with me than anywhere else he is right now (his admission).

To do so otherwise can be viewed as an admission of guilty/liability.   

I think they meet the 3rd Thursday of the month and there is no admission charge.

Hey Cody, here's more info on the meeting schedule for REI-NWA, admission is $20 for non-members.

One thing you can look for, although I haven't tried it is elementary school admissions trends.

Remember you will get both good and bad advice in any forum where there is no qualification for admission.