I was thinking discussing with the seller: reasons for selling, urgency of needing to sell and determining their bottom dollar.

In the folio we also have a welcome letter with important contact numbers, an emergency preparedness brochure, instructions on how to use a fireplace, recycling instructions, information about the nearest urgency care clinic, a walking map of the area from the chamber of commerce, etc.The appliance user manuals and fire extinguishers are included as items that stay with the property for tenants to use as needed.

It might be my slow, no-urgency method of working with sellers.

I also heard a strategy that adding a P.S. at the bottom saying "did you know if your home has been vacant for over 60 days your insurance will not cover you" helped add a sense of urgency ?

I recognize that the deals are probably still out there waiting to be found and creativity plays a roll in that, but this market does fuel some of my hesitance on urgency.

then fight the urgency to say anything else and let them answer. 

It’s a good idea to leave the time slot no more than two hours so that you can add a sense of urgency. 

Net net, while my most innate instincts are to lock up the longest fixed rate debt possible the urgency may be more about my biases then the economic reality we confront.

Suggest you get hold of a licensed general contractor to itemize the deficiencies in the order of urgency and your budget.

So, you could do the due diligence yourself and eliminate an "if", both for yourself and as a selling point.Convey your urgency to the prospective sellers of the 2 buildings and ask for a contract, perhaps contingent on their closing their other deal.