The title company's underwriters were requiring that the Executor of estate (Widow), his step son(actual son of the deceased), and Son-in-law sign off on the sale.

Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.The most severe effect will probably fall on the unemployed widows of workers who retire early, Munnell said.

Sometimes you can catch a deal that way....an old timer has amassed a bunch of properties, didn't keep up on the maintenance and the widow or kids have no interest in them.  

Most widow/probate folks don't want or don't grasp seller financing.  

well heres the back story, the seller and her husband had the house on the market for about half a year, because the husband was diagnosed with brain cancer, they wanted to sell the house before he died so the wife and kids didnt have the burden, well he died last month, so the seller is a grieving widow, and having to deal with a scum bag tenant who prolonged the house sale long enough for him to pass before it could complete.

The other options would be to undo the transfer and then work with her to sell it, so she could take the $500k tax free (if married, or if she's widowed and her husband died not more than 2 years ago, and they met the ownership and use tests immediately prior to his death...sorry this is getting morbid).

Do we a) spend the money and put in two rooms and a master bath plus widows etc or b) just make the upstairs a master bedroom with an ensuite?

She is widowed, seemingly lives a very moderate lifestyle and yet has accumulated over $1M in property based assets and equity.

(The house has 24 widows) Both are a little older but totally operable condition. 

In the situation surrounding this particular house, however, there's no widow in despair.