I would connect with local people/agents and get a feel.

Hello, I'm a real estate agent, just hit my one year mark a few weeks back.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

In my opinion, a wholesaler is nothing more than a "listing agent".  

As an investor-focused agent in the Cleveland market I always have my clients write the following contingencies in when buying a house that's tenant occupied:1) Offer contingent on home inspection- usually a 7-10 day contingency period, this contingency allows you to either A) move forward with the deal B) renegotiate the price if issues are found, or C) walk away from the deal2) Offer contingent on appraisal if you're going financing3) Seller to provide copy of current lease agreement4) Seller to provide a rent roll/tenant ledger with proof of payments received5) Seller to provide copies of 3 previous months of any utilities paid by the landlord6) Seller and tenants to fill out Estoppel Certificate.

However the seller does not want to repair a sewer lateral because he is on and out of the hospital and cannot over see the work (so I’m being told from the agents) and is proposing to credit me money to fix.

There are a lot of agents who wholesale in PA, but you should know that agents who wholesale have to pay their brokerage their portion of the commission on their spread.

Either wholesalers, agents, brokers, auctions. 

I would get an attorney or agent involved and in reality you should only be dealing with him as he owns the home unless there is a court order elsewhere that gives her some rights tothe propertyI think it's possible the final decree of divorce or the property settlement agreement required her to give him a deed in return for him paying her equity. 

This one of the most asked questions for wholesalers, agents, and anyone running off-market or on-market businesses.