Originally posted by @Tori Roy:How do you approach closing costs?

The sales comparison approach is typically done for residential real estate and will be less appropriate and come in under value because there are no good comps, and even an appraisal using the income approach (unless the appraiser is trained to do more complex commercial appraisals) is probably not going to be the most accurate either because they typically use market cap rates and in this case you don’t have good comparable income properties to find the market cap for the analysis.  

Then I had another one where the buyer brought as is under the impression that legalizing would be easy and found out it was not ever allowed and a portion of the structure had to be demolished because it was built horribly and a hazard as built.  

Reliance on a team a flight away wasn't for me as I was getting started, I am considering bending that approach. 

What factors should I prioritize when choosing the best approach for my future success in real estate? 

Many lenders allow for low-down-payment options if the rental income covers the loan.You’re approaching this deal thoughtfully, but be sure to communicate the benefits of your offers clearly to overcome resistance from the seller's representative.

I believe this tough-on-crime approach will make Albuquerque safer and a better place to do business in the near and long-term future. 

We're exploring creative ways to provide him with the cash needed for the down payment while avoiding triggering a taxable event.One strategy we're considering is purchasing his future primary residence ourselves, making the mortgage payments, and then, once we've built enough equity—comparable to the appraised value of his rental properties—transferring the title to him as a form of exchange.What are your thoughts on this approach?

As an investor and realtor I took the opposite approach.

Unfortunately experience means you've made some costly mistakes :-) So, to avoid those costly mistakes, when I take on a new approach in investing, I buddy up with someone that already has experience doing them.