I'll refer a client to an attorney only when they have questions about our standard contracts or need something non-traditional written up. 

i'm getting my arv based on similar finished properties based on comps i found on zillow and redfin. figured with the repairs/upgrades, the arv would be $270k. current listed price is $235k and overestimating on $35k in repairs, which will be made over the course of the year while i live there.the real estate agent gave me some comps to compare, but it was similar to the comps i pulled from redfin.

More than likely you'll be looking to make a traditional acquisition and therefore you'll need to make a 20% down payment.

Joe has a tax lien for 90K which is preventing him from getting a traditional loan/financing.The house Joe lives in is paid off, but the seller has a lien on the house from his mother's nursing home.  

I am comparing opportunities in my home country with opportunities in the USA and I believe the latter offers more in terms of risk/rewards.Example in Belgium:In a median city you can buy a decent small apartment (700 sq feet) for ± 280.000 EUR (+ 10% costs and registration rights) = 308.000 EUR (=$358.820).

Refinancing it into a 30 yr loan should lower the payments but It may also depend on the current mortgage rate compared to what her current rate is.

Unless he is very close to you he will probably charge more in interest than a bank so if you qualify for a traditional loan that would probably be more cost effective. 

In any case,   one argument FOR holding onto smaller apartment properties in seattle is that townhouse redevelopment,  which requires the same zoning as small multifamily causes a lot of SFR and smaller apartments to be lost to redevelopment,  so this class of neighborhood scale and typically comparatively affordable housing is going to get harder to come by,   and presumably in higher demand as a result.

I'm a Real Estate Broker, I do my own deals, and I have traditional RE clients, but I also have a couple other businesses I run. 

I'm interested in potentially placing some bids on some properties in Mecklenburg County in NC but am unfamiliar with how the due diligence process works compared to a typical property purchase.