Typically, crime is going to be present in a lot of the areas where #'s make sense, but the key is making sure the house you are buying does not have obvious crime ridden houses in the immediate area.

Dunno, why don't you just tell the broker BEFORE it gets presented that you plan on doing a blind assignment.You know, like disclosure?

I believe this situation was handled in a way congruent with BiggerPockets values and ethos - information was discovered, we gave the user in question an opportunity to respond publicly to the allegations, other members of the community chimed in to make comments and ask questions of their own, I made the decision to close the post because I believe many of the top viewpoints were discussed and I didn't want it to turn into shameless trolling with no additional value, that whole thread remains up for community members to view into the future for transparency and anyone who reads it can form their own opinions with the information presented.

While all the posts have at lease some legitimate points, I personally believe camp 1 is missing the opportunities present to protect assets under US law mostly because they don’t either understand asset protection, or don’t want to bother with it, so rather than do a proper evaluation they dismiss it as something that won’t work to justify their unwillingness to entertain the idea.Camp 2 is deluding themselves - which delusion has been enhanced by charlatans writing books, giving seminars, and selling packaged plans all of which either attempt to hide your assets or hide the ownership of your assets.  

Unfortunately, I dont think I can barge into their unit without them present.

One reason could be that not all appraisers consider basement space to be "general living area" (GLA), regardless of the building codes.To overcome this barrier, you can:Provide Documentation: Present the city’s approval for the egress window and any other relevant permits or certificates that show the space was done according to code.

I preached in “The Hands-Off Investor”, as well as on stage every year in my presentations at BPCON, that one of the strongest forms of “skin in the game” is “does the sponsor have a brand to protect?”  

I want to approach the seller on a seller financing opportunity but don’t know much about it, and don’t know how to present to seller.

When you find out the present zoning of the property, the future land use and the local agencies comprehensive plan for how they see the area being developed (all can be done at the local planning office) you will have a much better idea of what you have just bought.If the land could in any way be developed into something more than single family residential lots, i.e. if there is any multi-family or commercial component than I would advise you to hire someone qualified to help you with the site planning of the development.

You could also present the deal to other local investors or private lenders who might jump at the opportunity, given the attractive terms.