@Richard Ball I appreciate the input!

Usually around this time and again in May when they get ready for summer all these weird odd ball issues come up with people trying to get out of their lease.

Earlier this year my brother and  I bought a house in my neighborhood by just going to an open house and making a low ball cash offer (home equity) .

Hopefully someone calls back just for the conversation to get the ball rolling.

70% on MLs is definitely difficult to find in Houston, but if you're like me you send out a few low-ball offers a day trying to find someone who bites. i calculate what i'm willing to spend on a property and let as many people know as possible.

It sounds like both the mortgage broker and title insurance agent dropped the ball on this.  

However,  most of the time my students drop the ball at negotiations.

You didn't initiate it in any legal sense, but just from a best-practices, word of mouth reputation standpoint, you got the ball rolling.

So I made some connections with potential sellers, lots of low ball haggling and some not so nice folks on the other end of the virtual line.  

I'm very eager to get the ball rolling here and I know once I start & gain some momentum i'll be a force to be reckoned with.