I'm interested in knowing how someone like myself with no knowledge of the industry can find something like this when there are plenty of more skilled people doing the same thing with better tools and connections at their disposal to find all the good deals.

Congratulations on the move and transition into this exciting industry.

I see that on HUD homes .... any property with an Exclusive by it ,is open to all buyers ( Investors included ) ?

The result is impacting not only the lenders, but also the whole of the manufactured housing industry as more and more sources of such loans disappear under the ever-increasing regulatory burden. 

IN SUCH EVENT, ESCROW/CLOSING AGENT SHALL RETURN TO BUYER (AS BUYER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY) THE EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT.

I don't have any exclusive contracts with my current agent (and will not sign one).Please take a peek at my profile.

By having this agreement in place prior to, and given the buyers agent can retract their commission, it may be less expensive to pay your buyers agent through the closing instead of raising the price by an amount you might have otherwise have agreed to go.In the situation you described, if the actual fact is the listing broker is attempting to double end the deal to their own buyer client but the two offers are similar it may have saved you a couple/several thousands of dollars had you agreed to pay your buyers agent a fee/% in exchange for retracting their rights to a commission and raised your offer by x  dollars.In the past when working CRE brokerage exclusively, I would propose this to my buying clients when a competitive buying situation arose, but with the added caviot that my fee went into the deal on a pare pasu equity basis and I also got the management/brokerage work for the project. 

I've run my own independent agency since 2007 been in the industry since the early 90's have 1 commercial and 2 residential properties I let currently.

Real Estate is an amazing industry, I am so blessed to have stumbled upon it over 10 years ago. 

@Bob Faulis Not only you have a couple of people reading your updates, you actually made me create an account here and start thinking about getting into this industry after having a really bad experience with the market crash, that led me to go into other industry (Recycling Industry) where I'm doing OK at the moment, but maybe I should start to diversify my sources of income.