Find a real estate investment group and hang with like-minded people.

Do I hang tight and pay out of savings, hoping it's worth it in the long run? 

This is low-hanging fruit for AI, because there is no physical work.

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies that spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.

Owner financing is like a secret weapon for folks looking to sell their properties after hanging onto them for ages.

They never have time to hang out in a lawn chair and watch the grass grow.if you sell for a living, it's always going to make sense to look like you have money and the trappings of success.

@Scott HamiltonScott I congratulate you on hanging in there to get this project off the ground.

Someone didn't hang up the phone and actually IS interested in selling (the first time this has happened so far). the only thing is the home is a mobile home located in a senior community.

Hang in there and try to keep yourself motivated.. you may be surprised to the upside in the end.

I doubt there's any damage they could have done in 8 days that would necessitate holding back any form of the deposit but that could vary depending on what you see in the unit.