After you've got all the estimates together, arrange a time to talk/meet with the sellers and present your offer based on your research.

I want to feel absolutely no obligation to the other party other than the fulfillment of our business arrangements.

Our arrangement was that 2 of our 5 worked at a local restaurant and covered the bills while my brother and I worked the system.

You could arrange for the sale through a local realtor as a way of helping her.I think the biggest risk is owner financing to an owner occupant who depletes the property's value by not maintaining the capital expenditures (roof, systems etc).

@Ashley Wolfe  its very nice of you to ask... however your broker only gets paid if they represent you and write the contract for you.. ( unless you have buyers brokers arrangement which are fairly rare).So when you have an agent working for you and you feel they are bringing value make sure you use them to make your offers on listed properties..Nothing worse to an agent then to work with someone only to have that client go direct to a listing agent and cut them out and the buyer is not cognizant of how this crush's your agent.

Less than an hour later I received a call from my sister asking for help in arranging an accommodation for them as the place ‘they’ were moving to not ready when the truck reached there.

I much prefer selecting the most qualified candidate, not necessarily the most speedy.In your situation, I would apprise both prospective tenants that you have received several calls of interest and have arranged to show the property through the weekend.

I would gladly entertain an owner financing arrangement.

Another loan is a bridge loan that uses equity in your existing home to buy the new home, they can also take a security interest in both properties, when the old home sells that amount secured is applied to the loan.No lender is going to want to provide a new loan with the expectations of a long term loan arrangement on a property that is being sold.

If you don't have specific real estate experience either, this arrangement can result in the blind leading the blind...which sometimes spells disaster.