Utter blasphemy, only "unsophisticated" investors buy in cash.An experienced investor once told me "why use my cash, when I could just default on OPM" I know its not popular thought on BP.. and of course ramp up requires it unless you inherit a ton of dough but as we age out I sure like free and clear and no debt.. just the hassle factor of having to make payments :)

Is the PM investing in or in some other way financially committed to this deal (beyond the fee)?  

You send a complaint to the NMLS or DRE for failing to disclose, or charging an excessive amount of fees and they will suspend the broker's license.

I have found that they worked really well when it comes to getting better tenants and better rents, and having less hassle, less headaches, and then getting a higher sales price; without paying closing costs or realtor fees.

Obviously they would expect fees.

It also matters where the home is located, and what the weather, type of tenants it attracts/has been attracting, etc. other factors are.

Collect your fee when the transaction closes.5. 

However, calculate whether the investment—purchase price, legal fees, potential eviction costs, and rehab—still leaves room for a solid return.Risk vs.

I agree with the others here that say you need to have some skin in the game, if you are going to live there yourself, get an FHA loan rather than owner financing, you can get a 3.5% down loan, personally I do not love these as they require  PMI which is an additional expense, and you also need  bring additional funds for closing at least for taxes, title, attorney and transfer fees . borrowing from anyone else for the down payment, to include a personal loan from the bank is not a good idea, those again will be higher int. rate.

You will also have to factor in the closing cost for the new loan.