These include falsely claiming to have closed dozens of deals when none were ever closed, illegal payment of undisclosed sales commissions to bundlers and independent contractors, advertising the funds as safe and appropriate to investors with obvious near-term needs for their capital, creating fund of funds en masse assembly line fashion with no corresponding SEC filings, unregistered brokers/financial advisors acting in that capacity absent licensure, having customers wire money claim the fund is fully subscribed and putting them into a high yield promissory note, accepting funds from unaccredited investors, misrepresentations about the debt put on the project, lies about experience level of the principals, omissions of material facts, and at least two straight up Ponzi schemes.While it's true that some legitimate operators are having issues in their portfolios, today's circumstances are a perfect example of the idiom, "you can only discover who is swimming naked when the tide goes out."

That said, if the circumstances warrant, you could agree to return the deposit as part of the buy-out agreement. 

Our goal is to not have any lost income due to them breaking their lease, and not so much penalize them for a change in their circumstances.   

In strong sellers markets it may be more difficult for unrepresented buyers and they may choose to get a Realtor but this is the market dictating the circumstance and not the NAR.

I do not know the numbers of the house, but I do not like the circumstances.  

However, this is not specific legal advice to you, just an opinion based on the circumstances described.Do I Need an LLC to Invest in Real Estate?

She declined to comment about the circumstances of Khafagi’s departure and didn’t respond to questions about it.

I made it by, but was never able to refinance due to various circumstances and none of the mortgage companies (it switched quite a bit) allowed a loan assumption to put it solely under my name.

Assess the application and approval process: Lenders with streamlined processes, like same-day approvals offered by California Hard Money Direct, can be advantageous for new flippers.Remember, the "best" lender will depend on your specific circumstances, including your location, the property you're looking to flip, and your financial situation.

I created the following decision tree to simplify the process.Ultimately, the decision to use a 1031 exchange or refinance and take out equity depends on your individual circumstances and investment goals.