If there was a closing deadline and it passed, they may say you didn't close by the deadline in the contract so the contract is null. 

Sounds like you are in a tight spot at the moment.

how can i evaluate the strength of my buyers offer besides the amount they want to pay...meaning can i ask to speak to their lender to see how tight their credit/DTI/bank statements are....last thing i would want is my buyer's loan falling thru two weeks before i close. 

But if you give them a deadline and a bonus the outcome is different.   

When they're in a tight hallway I personally find them just annoying.

@Terry Woolard -- it looks like a very tight deal with the wind blowing straight against you...but it's worth a phone call if you want to walk through it.

Do you think it will accelerate the flow of americans to rentals in the long term by squeezing the already tight affordable house market?

I’ve offered him his deposit in cash when he hands keys to me on or before deadline, but that doesn’t seem incentive enough.

@Etan Frankel although the government has a hard deadline of April 20th, 2018 to establish designated opportunity zones nation-wide, the investments wont happen for a short period afterwards while the IRS works on designating qualifications for the certification of an Opportunity Zone Fund.As soon as the certifications have been designated and the flood gates for applications are opened, i am sure you will begin to see many Opportunity Fund's pop up that would be eager to participate in the investment.

What are your tips and tricks for helping first time home buyers in a tight market?