He made an organic garden and turned it into a mountain retreat getaway for people that want to escape the big city.

Your incentive structure aligns perfectly with your client's ;)There is also the bonus of possibly getting some extra $$ from the realtor fees or getting rid of them on your side to make your offers that much more compelling to a seller you're attempting to woo.

In a hot market you can get away will having the buyer pay the difference.

It means I have too much on my plate, NO or I do not know how I can help or if I can so, NO.If people would just be honest, and stand by their word it would go a long way in many industries.I am no where near perfect, but I do honestly try to give the best I can at all times.

Scott,I'm answering this from a consultant/independent contractor point of view since I have not yet invested in real estate, but using legalzoom or nolo is perfectly fine to get the LLC formed, IMHO.The big factors for the LLC you'll need to decide are:- What state to register in (some people choose Delaware or Nevada for favorable business laws)- Who to use as a registered agent (basically the person that collects legal papers)If you plan on simply investing within your state of residence for now, I'd suggest on forming the LLC within that state using Legalzoom or even through the state's secretary website (if available), and then list yourself as the registered agent.

You've found the perfect place!

And If I were able to close on this, would you recommend a cashout refi to get away from the FHA and avoid the PMI?

I might get away with only 20% down because I have been with this bank for about 5 years, but I think other investors are still seeing 80% LTV.

Some retiring landlords just want a stable cash flow without the maintenance issues so you might get away with title insurance for closing costs (so they have no cash out of pocket).

Many people let small dogs get away with unwanted behaviors such as aggressiveness and barking.