Now, my old friends over there think I'm a prophet.Pittsburgh is dying, but there is definitely money to be made off its slow death throes, and the corpse can be robbed after that.

Yeah,They get to live indoors instead of having to sleep in a cardboard box on the sidewalk.They get the use of a furnace or other heating appliance rather than having to freeze to death, and many times an air conditioner so they don't have to be uncomfortable in the humidity and heat.They get to cook their meals on a stove vs a campfire.They get to not have to deal with rising property taxes, or maintenance on the home they live in.That and a lot more.All in return for a simple monthly payment smaller than many home owners pay to live in the same neighborhood.And many of the so-called "Poor" have this paid for them by the rest of the Americans who work and pay withholding taxes taken from their take home paychecks.Everyone needs a place to live, and in America this is how it's done, there are no 3rd world slums here.The so-called "Poor"  are not exploited by landlords.

Could the seller sell us us the house for $1 (or gift it to us entirely) and we repay him in monthly “gifts”Would it at all be advantageous to enter into some sort of “lease to buy” agreement and then be willed the property upon the seller’s death (he would write us into his will)?

I enroll all the appliances that I provide in the program and make sure the tenants have the toll free number to call in any issues.

My husband was 66 at his death. 

I did slow and cheaper because I did not think I could retain enough with a cram course and well your talking life and death when shooting an ILS approach to minimums LOL. 

In either option, the agreement should spell out all duties, responsibilities, and resolutions for all kinds of issues that can occur (death, divorce, buy out options, who funds what when and how, who does what work, how hires who, etc.In the choice of the entity, you should consult your RE attorney or CPA for the best structure for both of you.

To say that took a toll on my health is an understatement.

So the idea is that somehow the LLC is held by the trust or is shown to receiving LLC assets at the death of my wife and myself.

They also might be in areas with higher crime rates so home and car break ins, property damage like graffiti, etc. more common.1 and 2 are tied together and can create a death spiral.