This was fraudulent dealing having multiple contracts on the same property. 

Not into gambling anymore.Swanny

I found this in the blog post, "Michigan AG is cracking down on fraudulent businesses, unlicensed real estate professionals"One thing is for sure: the [Michigan Attorney General]’s office is taking serious efforts to shut down businesses engaged in unfair practices.

So I ask and they just say "give me the original plans and 10k and we'll go from there" but that seems like a gamble.

He will be more knowledgeable than I am on your rights and best approach to collect damages.I should not recommend this and it has some risk (but probably worth the gamble) but if your system fails you could try what the person that sold me the property did and try to ignore the demand to hook to sewer and hope the city never checks. 

I am pretty sure it would not even cash flow at 5% ($7,000 down).Now if you thought it would double in price in the next three years, that's a different story, but not one I would gamble on. 

I'd let him be someone else's gamble. 

I was confident enough to offer $10k non refundable upfront as a show of good faith but my partner said that I can go to the casino if I want to gamble :-) Since it is my first property of this size, I listened :-) Also I'm not sure if $10k upfront would have been meaningful.Let's see what happens...Jean

I am not gambling on appreciation, but cash flow talks the talk.

Do they usually allow inspections of the properties prior to a written offer, or is this one of those situations where I'd be expected to do my due diligence at "arms length" (drive-by, internet research etc), and take a gamble on the condition of the property?