It's a flop in western mi these days.

using a home inspector is a good idea. i am a home inspector here in the western new york area. you could have walked yourself right into  a trap, and thats what we inspectors are here for, to keep you from doing that. if i were you, i would go back to that owner, throw them your new offer and tell them it is a " standing offer". that means, you know they are not going to accept it, but after several months on the market, your offer is going to start to look good to them anyway. my guess is that they will eventually call you back and either accept or want to counter offer close to your bid. in the mean time, find another house. they are out there and some of your best deals are the ones not even listed.

Expounding a bit...I see maybe 7 forums:- Raleigh/Triangle/Eastern central - Charlotte/mid-central- Western (Asheville/Boone)- Greensboro- Southeastern (Jacksonville/Wilmington)- Northeastern (mostly bears and pines)- Outer Banks (because you can't get there from here) (they are really more SE VA anyway).

As an Autistic/Disabilities activist, probably half of the people I know have either a service or emotional support animal.

You may or may not have have an activist or more passive code enforcement in your city.Another alternative is to advertise it as one house with one ancillary building with an ambiguous written description.

The expected ROI is 15%+.Feel free to google Williston, North Dakota to check out the housing market we are experiencing in the oil boom of western North Dakota.Tina

I am a new investor in Western Kentucky, but I attended law school at Northern Kentucky University. 

@Tish Bell I am heavily involved with RE in Western PA for over 20 years. i dont know DFW market but I do know there are home runs in every market.

My father is a licensed home inspector in western New York and is coming down in a few days and we are going to go through the place again.  

My friends in university were not the econ majors dying to make big bucks on Wall Street - I prefer the company of academics, artists, social activists, musicians, even clergy.