I want to be able to tie up the asset until I have my day in court.  

I obviously want to get it for as cheap as possible.I do have funds for a down payment, however I do not want to tie up all of my money as I want to be able to buy more in the near future.My question is what are some creative ways to purchase this property without coming out of pocket with a lot of funds, and making it appealing to the seller?

However, life throws us curves, situations change, divorces come unexpectedly, in other words s_hit happens.When it does happen and you need to access capital that capital is sometimes tied up in real estate assets.

I remember when I was in your shoes years ago.

SuggestionsHave a dog bed handy, dog dishes, old towels, pooper scooper and bags, a extra leash, tie out chain.

If you have no emotional ties to the property it should be pretty easy4) How can I learn to accurately estimate rehab expenses?

Hopefully one day I can be successful enough to mentor those in my shoes now.

My partner does a lot of the sourcing, hes is currently - to be blunt - so busy hes forgetting to tie his shoes. 

@Vilson Nikollaj It sounded like your original statement was to "pay off the first" which means you simply cut them a check, and the first mtg no longer exists, foreclosure is canceled since there is no longer a first mtg....as opposed to "buying the 1st note" which would be paying the first, but in exchange the note is transferred/assigned to you, which means you step into their shoes, and finish the foreclosure.

Hi @Noah Hoffman, and welcome to BP.That 20%-25% equity can come from multiple places:"Natural" appreciation, which is simply tied to supply/demand for housing and the local economy.