Taking these two pieces of info will tell you how long you will take to get an offer, so if you go past that you should lower the price, and then the other action item would be to starting off lower than all the other properties if the condition is better than your condition.

They were a law firm who hunts class action suits to go against companies. 

(B) A purchase agreement may provide that in the event of a dispute regarding the disbursement of the earnest money, the broker will return the money to the purchaser without notice to the parties unless, within two years from the date the earnest money was deposited in the broker's trust or special account, the broker has received one of the following:(1) Written instructions signed by both parties specifying how the money is to be disbursed;(2) Written notice that a court action to resolve the dispute has been filed.

@Emily Mohr We use a form called Notice of Adverse Action.

Uptick in action in the secondary mortgage markets I suppose?   

He doesn’t even need the money; he just wants to give back / pay forward. “ . 

My experience has been that most lenders don’t immediately move on this, many don’t take action for 6 - 12 months.  

If so, you might have grounds to pursue legal action for misrepresentation against the seller or even your realtor if they failed to verify zoning.Next, confirm with the city if there’s any way to get the property rezoned or grandfathered in as a triplex since it’s been rented that way for decades.

Hiring a lawyer sounds expensive, but it is way cheaper than hiring a amateur (in this case yourself) who costs you money and provides no results (and then you need to hire a professional anyway).My personal philosophy is to "do it right, or do it twice" and its way cheaper to do it right once. 

@Josh LansberryIt’s exciting that you’re ready to take action in the Raleigh/Research Triangle market, an area with strong growth potential.