This may be the defining moment that will kick start you into getting serious about how you conduct yourself in this arena. 

Those who tell you being licensed is a liability are probably not used to conducting ethical business. 

As to incentives or fees, you dealing in the same property along with him causes him to realize a gain through his spouse in conducting business, it's as if both of you were the same person as far as he is concerned.

Many of those types of companies have a policy of not paying the taxes until the last possible minute.I've been to tax sales where the FedEx person is making a delivery of the tax payment while the tax sale is being conducted. 

If you are a professional doing this business you should conduct yourself as such and I don't know of anyone who would not want to buy a house from you just bc you are a realtor...Having that been said Dave does bring up a good point.

The major reason I say this is the renovations you are conducting at the outset.

I also took a glance at DF and they call for a study to be conducted on SAM's for regulatory oversight: "Study of Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Section 1406) – Requires HUD to conduct comprehensive study to determine prudent statutory and regulatory requirements for wide-spread use of shared appreciation mortgages and report to Congress within 6 months after date of enactment."

You can't be a buyers agent and not licensed.You can be an agent on INACTIVE status or an expired license but you cannot conduct any real estate activity that way.REALTOR is nothing more than a designation from NAR ( National Association of Realtors) lobbying group.

Everyone has to do their due diligence when conducting business with individuals - tenants included.

Make sure you conduct due diligence on not only the property but also the party who is buying your assignment (as you put it).