The current owner lives there and had someone paying to a trailer in the back yard all the way in the back. 

Or if you heard about them but decided not to work with them for xyz reason, I'd interested in that too. 

Handle this promptly to protect the owner’s interests.

My brother lives above.3.  2007 house just updated by owner.4.  

When we looked at what his cashflow is currently, and then considered what he would net out of a sale post tax, he decided to keep owning the properties.

The problem is that you don't get an opportunity to do an inspection before you buy.If you buy pre-sale from the owner, you have arrears to bring current, getting the owner to move after you have solved their problem and taken the pressure off, along with the previously listed concerns.

@Jade Frank I agree with what @Dominic Mazzarella and others are saying here, but If you find the downside outweighs the gain and you ultimately decide to sell the property, Since the property was held for investment use it would qualify for a 1031 exchange. 

Instead of discussing the possibility of owner finance with sellers - what if I offered the opportunity to  JV where they are the equity partner?   

., blend a bold design with a transitional home), we decided to highlight its natural style and create this simple yet showstopper design!

I’m a real estate investor and the owner of a fairly large property management firm here in Texas.