And, I agree with Ali, every time you have a win, tell them!  

Eric Worre says that every situation he faces ends one of two ways:  He wins, or he learns. 

I'd also say, at least from my perspective, "I'm trying to make it a "win win" for everyone is more urban legend than reality.

I know you don't want to pay for an attorney, but ask the attorney if he or she thinks they can get attorneys fees awarded from your family if you win.

Disadvantages: -hard to save the cash or find the money-finding the bank to do the refi-meeting the appraisal amount to match or exceed your cash in-opportunity cost of having the money tied upAdvantages:Easier to win deals (taken more seriously by deal finders)Lower holding costs

You end up having a great synergistic relationship with your "competition" so you both end up winning.

The tenant could claim they had an agreement with landlord selling they property that they get to keep it in exchange for not doing repairs to the property or they could say they bought it off of the landlord or they purchased it elsewhere.If you don't have the documents then I don't see you winning this one and wasting a lot of time and money.

Marie Poe - wouldn't you agree that it'd be a win-win scenario if the OP were able to structure the offer in a way that works for him and the seller?

Win-win.Bonus: many, many times I have gone back to the holder of these notes on properties I have bought and asked if that holder would take a discount if I paid off his note with cash.  

You must be able to win either sooner or later given any reasonable spectrum of possible outcomes.