And never being “at risk” is it even sufficient to legally bind a seller?  

Hi @Heather Bailey something to consider with this is legal mother/daughter may not mean legal duplex. 

Quote from @Leah Miller: @Justin LandesmanInsurance has been bound for weeks already so that shouldn't be an issue. 

Hello Doug, I am not a real estate attorney nor is this legal advice.Unless someone's state has specific laws banning contract assignments you should be fine doing the following.  

However, anything that impacts functionality like plumbing, HVAC, or safety issues should be handled before listing to avoid turning off potential renters/buyers.If you’re re planning to lease it, tenants will expect everything to be move-in ready before signing.

For example, ask about typical costs for HVAC repairs, plumbing issues, or roof work.- Use Historical Data: If the seller has accurate financials, their expense data can be invaluable.

What can I expect for timeline, potential issues, rough costs? 

The last two hours were with the legal team at MR and they confirmed there can be no other up front charges beyond the one month’s rent cap.

You could see an attorney or even better talk about it with your financial planner many have legal tech now that makes it essentially frictionless to get your estate work done and keep it updated.  

Meanwhile, the sellers who are most likely to offer creative financing are normally the owners of  real estate that have issues.....condition.....low barrier/over supply market......or perhaps pricing issue, and one of these factors is why its not marketable in a arms length transaction and why creative financing would be accepted.