I'm an electrician by trade and a military veteran.

neither are very accurate... you need to have a list of comparable homes that sold in the area that match  the house you are looking at  in lot size ,sq feet,  bed ,bath, outside finish etc  and some time houses even a few blocks away don't match because  they are over the tracks or a hwy or something that makes them a different neighborhood... you need to find a way to get actual sale prices of homes sold in the area and a way  eg feet on the ground to tell you if they are fair comparables.. your offers  and your profits depend on accurate comparables so you can judge  what you are doing... just my thoughts

This is where having some help comes in because high interest rates and a huge remodel project makes for a lot of risk when your just getting started.

Fast forward to today and I've been doing the same type of work (admin support for faculty) with a small increase in pay and a title change.

Once my client is completely ready to submit, I send over a full package to the other party including an the signed Purchase and Sale agreement, a copy of their pre-approval letter or proof of funds, a picture of the escrow deposit, a sheet explaining all of the comps that verify the offer price, and a brief explanation in the email as to what some of the terms are. 

My partner and I have 3 properties (2 triplexes and a single family Lease Option) here that have great cash flow.

Even if you went from that to talking to the listing agent to "work this out," it would at best have been a "verbal contract," and a "verbal contract" does not exist in real estate (see above), in practice, meaning that literally the most that could possibly have been accomplished was absolutely nothing.2.

I usually create both a rental ad and a sale ad, both advertising the home as a lease option type of deal, in zillow rental manager (used to be postlets), which then syndicates to zillow, trulia, hotpads, aol, etc.

but that would be a cheap shot from him and a waste of his professional time.

The option also has a "Strike Price" and a date.