Very harsh statement.

@Dion DePaoli, seems a bit harsh with the feedback don't you think?  

Just a harsh reality of the business if you don't have the funds to get things started. 

I am not trying to be harsh, just convincing. 

MN also has some harsh repercussions for landlords if they should have returned a deposit, so I'd personally be nervous testing out in court if you can take the tenant's security deposit, even if you had a clear addendum.  

Or, if your building is in a pod of say 4-6 units, separate from the others, find out what it would cost to fix YOUR building and then feel out the other owners to see if they would be willing to split the cost.Don't sue yourself...Sorry to sound harsh, but we live in such a litigious society that it drives me crazy. 

This may sound harsh, but just make sure you have an operating agreement among the two of you.

The risk to the seller of using lease-options (or any other executory contract) is now significant, and investors should therefore use any such device with extreme caution.Note: lease options are not illegal, just harsh in penalties. 

Sorry to sound so harsh, but purporting to be an altruistic for-profit Investor is fairly close to being an oxymoron in my dictionary.In reality, it's their LENDER who will decide how much they can be helped.If you're investing, why treat underwater properties differently to any other?

This is possibly going to sound a bit harsh....You either need to hire a property manager or not be so emotionally tied to what tenants do or don't do.